Sestrinski glasnik, Vol. 31 No. 2, 2026.
Review article
https://doi.org/10.11608/sgnj.31.2.6
Stay or Leave: Retention and Migration of the Nursing Workforce from generational Differences to Practice Constraints
Sandra Blaić
; Klinički bolnički centar Sestre milosrdnice, Vinogradska cesta 29, 10000 Zagreb, Hrvatska
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* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Introduction: The healthcare system of the Republic of Croatia is facing a chronic shortage of nurses and nursing technicians, with the retention of younger professionals posing a particular challenge. Retention of the nursing workforce has become a key factor in ensuring the sustainability of healthcare services and the quality of care. Younger generations enter the profession with expectations that differ from those of older colleagues, particularly regarding working conditions, interpersonal relationships, mentorship, and work–life balance. Although professional literature recognizes support measures and professional development as the foundations of retention, their implementation is often limited by chronic staff shortages. This article examines generational differences, the specific characteristics of Millennials (Generation Y) and Generation Z, factors influencing job retention, the benefits of longer tenure for quality of care, and the role of state policies in supporting young nurses and nursing technicians, with particular emphasis on the discrepancy between recommended measures and the real possibilities for their implementation in everyday practice.
Aim: This paper aims to explain in more detail the situational problems and the different attitudes towards them due to generational differences.
Materials and methods: This is a review article; therefore, the text does not derive from data obtained through research. The data was collected by reviewing relevant literature using the listed keywords. The relevance of the papers was selected primarily by recency and respect for the topic, not older than 5 years, and nursing and migration in the first instance (PubMed, WHO, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Croatia, CCN).
Conclusion: Long-term quality of care and stable teams are the result of systematic investment in young staff, clear support strategies, and efficient work organization.
Keywords
nursing; retention; generational differences; young workforce; quality of care
Hrčak ID:
350212
URI
Publication date:
15.8.2026.
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