Background: Reasons for the growing nursing shortage are often complex and multidimensional.
Aim: To explore the phenomenon of why Turkish nurses leave nursing.
Methods: The sample in this descriptive study was 134 nurses who had left the profession. A snowball sampling method was used to identify subjects and multiple methods were used to elicit reasons for leaving. Data analysis included descriptive statistics.
Results: The main reasons for leaving nursing were related to unsatisfactory working conditions and a negative perception of nursing. Of the respondents, 69.4% received education in a non-nursing field. The most popular career choice was teaching (27.6%). The results of this study indicate that working conditions and public opinion adversely affect a nurse's interest in the profession.
Conclusions: The results of the study indicate a need to improve working conditions and to approach this subject from a multidimensional perspective.