Nurses’ Views about Talent Management Practices at Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Aim: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate key positions in nursing services based on nurses’ views, the competencies required for these positions, talent management practices implemented by hospitals, and nurses' perceptions of the extent to which they possess the competencies required for these positions. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study comprised 696 nurses in six hospitals in Türkiye using a cross-sectional survey with questions related to demographic and occupational variables and talent management practices. The data were examined using descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and independent group t-test. Results: Ninety-five percent of nurses reported nurse managers, 93% nurse educators, and 92% nurses in specialty positions as key positions. Participants pointed out communication skills as the highest (83.3%) and acting beyond expectations as the lowest (28.6%) professional qualifications required of those in key positions. There were significant differences between public and private hospitals in talent management practices (p<0.05), excluding job orientation, participation in symposiums/congresses, furthering professional education, and work-family life balance. While the mean score of perception of nurses regarding their appointment to their current positions based on their abilities was 7.26 (SD=2.20), the mean score for those in key positions was 5.48 (SD=2.56). Significant differences were found in these perception score based on some demographic characteristics. Conclusion: The results showed that the use of talent management practices, such as career management, talent pooling, and retention strategies, was low at hospitals. It is recommended that healthcare administrators and nursing managers develop talent management programs to support nurses' competencies. This could encourage nurses to stay in the profession and within the institution, while improving the quality of patient care.