Comparison of factors affecting job satisfaction of nurses in Oklahoma public hospitals with hospitals' recruitment and retention priorities

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of this study was to describe the perceptions about environmental/external and motivational/internal variables and factors held by nurses in public hospitals in Oklahoma, their relationship to the perceived job satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and how dissatisfaction relates to nurses' intention to leave their hospital jobs. The study then compared the job satisfiers identified by nurses compared to the policies and practices of Oklahoma public hospitals' use in their target recruitment and retention of nurses. A survey consisting of five sections with Likert-type ratings of 29 questions, then (sigma)Rank Point of the top eight of 29 questions by 62 respondents of the most important factors of job satisfaction and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Additionally, the nurses answered five global satisfaction questions with Likert-type ratings and three qualitative response questions were offered. Forty-eight nurses gave qualitative responses on one to three of the questions. Two large public hospital human resource mangers rated nine methods of their recruitment/retention strategies from the most used to the least.Findings and Conclusions: The nurses provided their perceptions of factors of job satisfaction/dissatisfaction. The nurses listed the most important to the least. The highest mean for the eight of the 29 questions were: Good nurse manger; Fair salary; Adequate staffing; Supported by manger. The (sigma)Rank Point from the most important to the least was: Fair salary; Adequate staffing; Good relationship with manager; Adequate time for patient care. The most important qualitative themes were: Management treatment of staff; Lack of teamwork; Lack of staffing; Better Pay. On the global satisfaction questions, three fourths of the respondents were satisfied with their job environment, the quality of patient care they provided and encouraged nurses to apply at their job. The Pearson correlations verified this satisfaction and intention to stay in the job for at least one year. The two hospital human resource managers stated from the most used to the least used strategy of recruitment/retention was: Competitive wages for both hospitals. The nurses' responses were more directed to the manager for job satisfaction. The hospitals did not have a manager factor to rate. The findings of this study support a conclusion that the motivation theories of Maslow and Herzberg are useful in understanding the factors of job satisfaction for Oklahoma nurses