Exploring the Experience of CRNAs Choosing to Quit Their Jobs: A Qualitative Study

The bottom line

When CRNAs who actually quit explained why in their own words, three themes dominated: work-life fit, unrelenting work intensity, and poor leadership — all organizational, none about pay alone. Exit-driver interviews like these tell leaders where retention effort will bite. Qualitative themes from a self-selected sample map the territory but cannot rank or size the drivers.

What the source found

Qualitative study asking CRNAs who had voluntarily quit their jobs to describe reasons in their own words; three main themes: desire for better work-life fit, stressful work intensity, and poor leadership; authors noted absence of prior qualitative CRNA turnover research and lack of solid data on actual CRNA turnover rates.

Limitations and applicability

Qualitative design; sample size and recruitment method uncertain from abstract; recall bias possible; themes may not generalize across all practice settings.

Population and setting

CRNAs who had voluntarily quit their positions (US)

Used in FairShare guides

• Why CRNAs Are Leaving — In Their Own Words

About this evidence

Research question / practical issue

How does this source inform Retention and the Anesthesia Workforce for the population it studied?

Study design, evidence tier, and source class

Peer Reviewed Qualitative Study · primary source · evidence tier 2

Source type: Peer Reviewed Qualitative Study · primary · Evidence tier 2

Topics: Retention and the Anesthesia Workforce

Audience: CRNAs, Department Leaders