Barney (2002) has stated that there will be a nursing shortage of over one million vacancies by the year 2010. A large component of these vacancies has been projected to be among nurses who will be needed in the emergency department (Stiehl, 2002). A focused implementation of identified factors associated with job satisfaction and life satisfaction may be central to addressing a critical need: the retention of professional nurses in the emergency department. The purpose of this study was to describe job satisfaction characteristics among emergency department nurses. Hertzberg’s Motivation and Hygiene Theory was the theoretical framework selected A descriptive non-experimental design was implemented. Two self-administered questionnaires and a demographic form were mailed to a random sample of 274 state Emergency Nurses Association members. The job satisfaction assessment instrument, the Index of Work Satisfaction (IWS) and the life satisfaction assessment instrument, Quality of Life Index (QLI). There were 160 questionnaires returned. There were 112 useable IWS questionnaires (41%) and 99 useable QLI questionnaires (36%). Regarding work satisfaction, respondents rated autonomy, pay, organizational policies, and task requirements as of highest importance. Overall respondents indicated a low level of work satisfaction. Eighty-seven percent felt that what they do is important. Eighty percent indicated that they would not go into nursing if they had it to do all over again. Results from the QLI varied. Emergency nurses indicated a sustained valuing of what they do. Thus it may be concluded that given the implementation of measures to address the “hygiene factors” of pay and task requirements, the dissatisfaction expressed may begin to be resolved. Likewise the importance of autonomy may be strengthened by the nursing administration, thus strengthening the “motivation factors” for the nurse. By initially describing some of the job satisfaction components, the need for further research has been evidenced.
Session #1219 - Poster Session I
The 29th Annual MNRS Research Conference (April 1-4, 2005)