The perceived work environment of first-line nurse managers : An Icelandic qualitative study of job stress and job satisfaction

First-line nurse managers are very important to healthcare organizations. They are the ones who have the closest contact to employees and are responsible for on-the-floor management duties. Due to being in between upper management and employees they are responsible for numerous tasks both concerning administration but also the staff. They face high work demands on a daily basis and are, therefore, more susceptible to experience job stress and lower job satisfaction. The purpose of this study is to examine how first-line nurse managers perceive their work environment and how it influences job stress and job satisfaction. In this qualitative study, data was collected through semi-structured interviews. A total of eight Icelandic nurse managers were interviewed, so the data was analyzed from an Icelandic perspective. The interviews focus on exploring what work-related factors contribute to a higher stress-level, as well as what factors increase job satisfaction, and how the nurse managers are impacted by them. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, from which eight different themes emerged; ‘Shortage of staff’, ‘Lack of time’, ‘High workload’, ‘Formal power’, ‘Work-life interface’, ‘The importance of support’, ‘Fun work environment’, ‘Individual coping strategies’. These themes demonstrate different aspects of the work environment. The main findings show that the work environment of nurse managers is highly demanding and they face many challenges daily, and that these are the factors that have the most impact on job stress and job satisfaction.