Jordanian Nursing Work Environments, Intent to Stay, and Job Satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine associations among the nursing work environment, nurse job satisfaction, and intent to stay for nurses who practice in hospitals in Jordan.

Design: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey design was used.

Methods: Data were collected through survey questionnaires distributed to 650 registered nurses (RNs) who worked in three hospitals in Jordan. The self-report questionnaire consisted of three instruments and demographic questions. The instruments were the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI), the McCain Intent to Stay scale, and Quinn and Shepard's (1974) Global Job Satisfaction survey. Descriptive statistics were calculated for discrete measures of demographic characteristics of the study participants. Multivariate linear regression models were used to explore relationships among the nursing work environment, job satisfaction, and intent to stay, adjusting for unit type.

Findings: There was a positive association between nurses' job satisfaction and the nursing work environment (t = 6.42, p < .001). For each one-unit increase in the total score of the PES-NWI, nurses' average job satisfaction increased by 1.3 points, controlling for other factors. Overall, nurses employed in public hospitals were more satisfied than those working in teaching hospitals. The nursing work environment was positively associated with nurses' intent to stay (t = 4.83, p < .001). The Intent to Stay score increased by 3.6 points for every one-unit increase in the total PES-NWI score on average. The highest Intent to Stay scores were reported by nurses from public hospitals.

Conclusions: The work environment was positively associated with nurses' intent to stay and job satisfaction. More attention should be paid to create positive work environments to increase job satisfaction for nurses and increase their intent to stay.

Clinical relevance: Hospital and nurse managers and healthcare policymakers urgently need to create satisfactory work environments supporting nursing practice in order to increase nurses' job satisfaction and intent to stay.

Keywords: Intent to stay; Jordan; nurse job satisfaction; nursing work environment.