Learning Objective #1: Understand what kinds of experiences relate to organizational commitment of Japanese nurses

Learning Objective #2: Think about the ways to facilitate organizational commitment of clinical nurses

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The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the experiences that facilitate organizational commitment of Japanese nurses. Organizational commitment in this study was defined as psychological attachment to an organization. Seventy clinical nurses from 15 hospitals, which is a convenient sample, agreed to participate in this study. Data were collected by the responses to one question on an open-ended questionnaire: When do you feel that you are attached to your hospital and dedicated to your work? Data were coded and sorted to identify clusters of codes. These sorted codes formed categories. The credibility of the findings was supported by member checking. Six nurses wrote that they did not feel attachment to their hospital and another 6 nurses wrote nothing. Therefore, the following findings are based on the results of the responses of 58 nurses. Fifty-seven nurses were female and 1 was male. They ranged in nursing experience at their present hospital from 6 months to 21 years with an average of 6.7 years. Seven categories emerged from the data analysis. The Japanese clinical nurses have organizational commitment when they are "realizing self worth", "having a good relationship with colleagues", "feeling a sense of fulfillment", "getting a good evaluation about the hospital", "satisfying care with team work", "having a chance of using their own ability", and "being attracted by the hospital's vision". A model was developed from the data that shows the central experience is exemplified by "realizing self worth". The findings indicated that it is very important for nurses to feel self worth in their daily practice to have organizational commitment. Hospital should provide chances to use an individual nurse's own ability and to satisfy their work. It should lead to a feeling that they are important to their hospital, which is a significant experience to facilitate organizational commitment.