Elizabeth Capezuti

Background Many long‐term care facilities in the United States face significant problems with nurse retention and turnover. These challenges are attributed, at least in part, to moral distress and a negative nurse practice environment. Objective The purpose of the study was divided into two parts: first, to investigate the relationships among nurse practice environment, moral distress, and intent to stay; second, to explore the potential mediating effect of the nurse practice environment on the intent to stay among those with high levels of moral distress. Design This study was a descriptive, cross‐sectional survey using targeted sampling. Participants A total of 215 participants completed the surveys. Participants were nationally representative of long‐term care nurses by age, years of experience, employment status, and type of health setting. Methods This study was an online national survey of long‐term care nurses' perceptions of their intent to stay, moral distress level (Moral Distress Questionnaire), and nurse practice environment (Direct Care Staff Survey). Structural equation modeling analysis explored intent to stay, moral distress, and the nurse practice environment among long‐term care nurses. Results The mean moral distress score was low, while the mean nurse practice environment and intent to stay scores were high. Moral distress had a significant, moderately negative association with the nurse practice environment ( β = −0.41), while the nurse practice environment had a significant, moderately positive association with intent to stay ( β = 0.46). The moral distress had a significant, moderately negative association with intent to stay ( β = −0.20). The computed structural equation modeling suggested a partially mediated model (indirect effect = −0.19, p = 0.001). Conclusion Since the nurse practice environment partially mediates the relationship between moral distress and intent to stay, interventions to improve the nurse practice environment are crucial to alleviating moral distress and enhancing nurses' intent to stay in their jobs, organizations, and the nursing profession. Clinical Relevance Our study demonstrated that the nurse practice environment mediates moral distress and intent to stay. Interventions to improve the nurse practice environment are crucial to alleviating moral distress and enhancing nurses' intent to stay in their jobs, organizations, and the nursing profession.