Unraveling attrition and retention: A qualitative study with rehabilitation professionals.
Susanne Mak, Aliki Thomas, Saleem Razack and 2 others
PMID 38669505WHAT IT FOUND
Rehabilitation professionals stay when their work aligns with their values and they feel supported by colleagues and managers.
They leave when they experience bullying, excessive administrative burdens, or conflicts with regulatory bodies that make them feel policed rather than protected.
Key findings
01More than half of participants reported that alignment between their work and their personal values was a primary motivator for staying in the profession.
02Experiences of being harmed, such as bullying or working in unsupportive environments with frequent interprofessional conflict, were strong factors prompting several participants to leave their profession.
03Participants described negative relationships with regulatory bodies, including feelings of being policed or threatened by inspection processes, which contributed to their decision to leave the profession.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Recruitment of participants who had left the profession was challenging, resulting in a smaller attrition group (n=14) compared to the retention group (n=37). Fewer physical therapists (n=11) and speech-language pathologists (n=8) were recruited compared to occupational therapists (n=32), limiting transferability of findings to those disciplines. The study was conducted in Quebec, Canada, so findings may not apply to other health systems or regulatory environments.
Declared interests
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that specific interventions will reduce attrition. The study identifies themes and perceptions from a small sample in one province, not causal relationships or tested solutions.