Background and Objective: The persistent trend of nurse migration as a key human resource poses a significant threat to the sustainability of the healthcare system and the quality of patient care. This study aimed to qualitatively analyze the challenges of nursing management and its role in managing the retention of specialized personnel.
Methodology: This study was conducted using a qualitative approach and the “Thematic Analysis” method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 nursing managers, supervisors, and clinical nurses with over 5 years of work experience, selected from selected teaching hospitals affiliated with Universities of Medical Sciences. Data analysis was performed concurrently with data collection using qualitative methods to extract the core themes.
Findings: The data analysis led to the identification of three main themes: 1) Exhausting managerial policies, including inequitable reward distribution, lack of transparency in career advancement, and administrative bureaucracy; 2) Ineffective socio-psychological support, including the absence of support systems for nurses facing high workloads and their exclusion from major hospital decision-making; and 3) Lack of job security and professional outlook, characterized by feelings of instability due to precarious contracts and the absence of skill-based development pathways. Participants believed that weak management styles transform nurses from “committed actors” into “forces waiting to migrate.”
Conclusion: To preserve human capital, a transition from traditional management styles to “supportive and participatory management” models is essential. It is recommended that policymakers foster professional trust and increase nurses’ job attachment by reforming incentive structures, empowering middle managers, and strengthening organizational justice.