Job Satisfaction among Nurses in Public Hospitals in Calabar, Cross River State Nigeria

Background: Job satisfaction is an essential part of nurses’ lives, influencing patient safety, productivity, performance, quality of care, retention, turnover, commitment to the organization and the profession. Little is known about determinants of job satisfaction and their relationship with overall job satisfaction among nurses in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. The study was undertaken to assess the level of job satisfaction and the relationship between determinants and overall job satisfaction. Methods: A descriptive survey with a sample of 346 nurses selected through stratified random sampling was used in this study. A self-reported questionnaire labeled Work Quality Index was used in collecting data on job satisfaction. The instrument yielded a test-retest reliability of ® 0.73 to 0.85. Data were computer analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15.0 for Windows. Results: Majority of respondents 262 (75.7%) were between ages 31-40 years while most (48.5%) had 16-25 years of working experience. The respondents were predominantly female (88.4%). Regarding education, most of the respondents (69.9%) had diploma in Nursing while 28.6% were first degree holders. The mean overall of job satisfaction was 146.7. The results also revealed that majority of the respondents 265 (82.4%) were moderately satisfied with their work. Nurses were least satisfied with their salaries. The level of achievement, advancement, responsibility, recognition, work itself, nursing practice environment, hospital policy, interpersonal relationship, salary, supervision and working conditions were significantly positively related to the overall job satisfaction. Conclusion: The study has shown that nurses in the hospital under study were not totally satisfied with their job. In view of the negative impact of lack of job satisfaction, the main recommendation was that all determinants of job satisfaction must be addressed by the government, hospital management and professional associations