Characteristics of Job Satisfaction in Nurses Working in Hospitals in Japan

Muya, Makiko

[Background]

Nurses’ environments have changed remarkably. The existing job satisfaction scales do not reflect Japanese nurses' job satisfaction thoroughly. Therefore, the authors developed a scale comprising four factors (positive emotions toward work; appropriate support from superiors; perceived significance in the workplace; and pleasant working environment) from 28 items focused on work achievement, ability improvement, and others, and examined its reliability and validity (Muya et al., 2014).

[Objectives]

Nurses' present job satisfaction and its association with their departments and years of experience were examined.

[Method]

Subjects were 450 nurses from two hospitals with 500 beds or more. Survey items were the job satisfaction scale, years of experience, and departments to which the subjects belonged. Years of subjects’ experience were classified into four groups: (at 3 years or less, at 4–6 years, at 7–15 years, at 16 years or more). The subjects’ departments were classified into four groups (internal medicine; surgery; pediatrics/obstetrics and gynecology; serious intensive care unit/operating room). The differences in the group means were assessed by one-way analysis of variance. When significant differences were found, multiple comparisons (Tukey method) were used. A multiple regression analysis was conducted with job satisfaction as a dependent variable and years of experience and departments as independent variables.

This study was approved by the nursing science ethical committee of the Osaka Prefecture University. All the subjects were informed in writing of voluntary consent for participation in this study, and securing the privacy and protection of personal information and its handling.

[Results and Discussion]

A total of 217 subjects responded to the questionnaire, representing a 48.2% return rate. The mean age was 35.3 ± 9.1 years with clinical experience of 10.3 ± 9.2 years. The mean of job satisfaction was 2.84 ± 0.53 points. The mean of “positive emotions toward work” was 3.11 ± 0.60 points. The mean of “appropriate support from superiors” was 2.67 ± 0.78 points. The mean of “pleasant working environment” was 2.08 ± 0.58 points. The mean of “perceived significance in their workplace" was 2.92 ± 0.57 points. The score of the first factor was the highest. Job satisfaction scores tended to be lower in nurses with 4–6 years of experience. Significant differences were found in the first and fourth factors. The serious intensive care unit/operating room scores were significantly lower in the first factor and surgery scores were significantly lower in the second and fourth factors. Multiple regression analysis showed department was significant (β ＝ 0.209,ｐ＜.01) as an explanatory variable. Job satisfaction scores tended to be lower in nurses with 4–6 years’ experience; the job satisfaction of nurses of that experience level needs to be examined.

Job satisfaction focusing on work achievement and ability improvement was influenced by nurses’ departments. The job satisfaction was significantly lower in the nurses working in the busy surgery department. Support by supervisors for actual fulfillment of work (e.g., offering specialized care) or the pleasant working environment were important.