Résumés
Summary
Based on the life course perspective and the sociology of individuation, this article aims to examine the temporal processes at work in the decision of nurses to leave their jobs and the role played by different life contexts in guiding this decision. A qualitative study was conducted with nurses in order to gain an in-depth understanding of the reasons why so many young nurses decide to leave their jobs.
The theoretical perspective used focuses on the importance of considering the interaction between the different spheres of a person’s life, the social environment in which they live and the work-related decisions they make. We conducted life-narrative interviews during which the nurses were asked about their overall work trajectory and the events in their work, personal, family, and social lives which, in their opinion, contributed to their decision to leave their jobs. A total of 26 nurses under the age of 35 were interviewed. The data analysis helped to identify several job-leaving pathways structured around three main dimensions: 1- the temporal aspects of the job-leaving pathways (short or long term); 2- the nurses’ subjective work experience; and 3- the stage in the nurses’ work lives or personal lives in which they found themselves when they made the decision.
The findings reveal that the nurses’ decision to leave their jobs represents a complex process that developed over a short or longer period of time and involved various dimensions of their lives. Our analysis brought out two sources of tension underlying the nurses’ decision to leave their jobs: 1- a gap between their expectations regarding the possibilities for self-realization in their jobs and the concrete realities of work; and 2- a job situation that limited the possibilities to self-realize in other spheres of their lives.
Keywords:
- Employee turnover,
- nurses and nursing assistants,
- young workers,
- relationship with work,
- life course perspective,
- sociology of individuation
Résumé
À partir de l’approche des parcours de vie et de la sociologie de l’individuation, cet article propose d’examiner les processus temporels à l’oeuvre dans la décision de quitter son emploi et le rôle des différents contextes de vie dans l’orientation de ce processus. Une étude qualitative a été menée auprès d’infirmières et d’infirmières auxiliaires afin de comprendre « de l’intérieur », c’est-à-dire à partir de la perspective des acteurs, les raisons motivant autant de jeunes infirmières à vouloir quitter leur emploi.
L’approche théorique retenue insiste sur l’importance de considérer l’interaction entre les différents contextes de vie d’un individu, l’environnement social dans lequel il évolue et les choix professionnels qu’il fait. Des entrevues de type récit de vie ont été menées au cours desquelles les infirmières ont été questionnées sur l’ensemble de leur trajectoire professionnelle et les événements de leur vie professionnelle, personnelle et familiale, qui, de leur point de vue, ont contribué à la décision de quitter leur emploi. Au total, 26 infirmières de moins de 35 ans ont été rencontrées.
L’analyse des données a permis de dégager une typologie des parcours de départ structurée autour de trois principales dimensions : 1- l’aspect temporel des départs (à court ou à long terme); 2- l’évolution de l’expérience subjective de travail; et 3- la phase de la vie professionnelle ou personnelle au moment de la prise de décision. Les résultats démontrent que la décision de quitter se présente comme un processus qui se construit dans un laps de temps plus ou moins long et qui implique différentes dimensions de la vie des infirmières. Ainsi, deux axes de tensions à la source des départs ont été identifiés : 1- les tensions engendrées par un écart entre les attentes de réalisation de soi au travail et la réalité d’emploi; et 2- les tensions provoquées par un emploi qui limite les possibilités de se réaliser dans les autres domaines de la vie.
Mots-clés :
- Roulement de personnel,
- infirmières et infirmières auxiliaires,
- rapport au travail,
- parcours de vie,
- sociologie de l’individuation
Resumen
Basándose en la perspectiva del curso de vida y en la sociología de la individuación, este artículo se propone examinar los procesos que influencian la decisión de las enfermeras de dejar sus empleos y el rol que juegan diferentes contextos de vida en dicha decisión. Se efectuó para ello un estudio cualitativo implicando enfermeras y enfermeras auxiliares de manera a obtener una comprensión profunda de las razones por las cuales tantas jóvenes enfermeras deciden de dejar sus empleos.
La perspectiva teórica adoptada focaliza sobre la importancia de considerar la interacción entre las diferentes esferas de vida de las personas, el contexto social en el cual viven y las decisiones que ellas adoptan respecto al trabajo. Se llevaron a cabo entrevistas de tipo narración de vida durante las cuales las enfermeras se expresaron sobre sus trayectorias de trabajo y sobre los acontecimientos de la vida profesional, personal, familiar y social que, en su opinión, contribuyeron a la decisión de dejar el empleo. Un total de 26 enfermeras de menos de 35 años fueron entrevistadas. El análisis de los datos permitió identificar varias configuraciones de abandono de empleo estructuradas en torno a tres dimensiones: 1- los aspectos temporales del abandono de empleo (de corto o largo plazo); 2- la experiencia subjetiva de trabajo de las enfermeras; y 3- la etapa en la vida de trabajo o en la vida personal de las enfermeras que, según ellas mismas, influenció su decisión de dejar el empleo.
Los resultados revelan que la decisión de las enfermeras de dejar el empleo representa un proceso complejo que se desarrolla en un corto o largo periodo de tiempo y que implica varias dimensiones de sus vidas. Nuestro análisis hizo resaltar dos fuentes de tensión subyacentes en la decisión de las enfermeras de dejar su empleo : 1- una brecha entre sus expectativas respecto a las posibilidades de realización en su trabajo y la realidad concreta del trabajo; y 2- una situación de empleo que limita las posibilidades de auto-realización en otras esferas de sus vidas.
Palabras clave:
- Rotación de empleados,
- enfermeras y enfermeras asistentes,
- trabajadores jóvenes,
- relación al trabajo,
- perspectiva de curso de vida,
- sociología de individuación
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Parties annexes
Acknowledgments
I would like to thank Deena White from the Department of Sociology at Université de Montréal and Andrew Freeman from the Department of Rehabilitation at Université Laval for their useful comments on an earlier draft of this paper.
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