Job satisfaction among nurses in Iran: does gender matter?

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Studies
• Socioeconomic Research

Background:

• Job satisfaction is a critical factor in healthcare, influencing nurse retention and quality of care.
• Limited research exists on gender-based differences in job satisfaction among nurses, particularly in developing economies like Iran.
• Understanding these disparities is crucial for effective human resource management in the nursing profession.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate job satisfaction levels among Iranian nurses.
• To specifically examine gender-based differences in overall job satisfaction and its various dimensions between male and female nurses in Iran.

Main Methods:

• A survey was conducted among 146 nurses (81 female, 65 male) from eight public and private hospitals in Tehran, Iran.
• Random sampling was employed to select participants for the study.
• Independent t-tests were used to analyze differences in job satisfaction dimensions between genders.

Main Results:

• Both male and female nurses reported median levels of overall job satisfaction.
• Female nurses exhibited lower overall job satisfaction and lower mean scores across most dimensions compared to male nurses.
• A significant difference was found in most dimensions of job satisfaction between genders, with the exception of satisfaction with the specific nursing job.

Conclusions:

• Female nurses in Iran experience lower job satisfaction than male nurses across most dimensions, except for satisfaction with the nursing profession itself.
• The findings underscore significant gender-based disparities in job satisfaction among Iranian nurses.
• These results provide a foundation for developing targeted management and human resource strategies to improve nursing job satisfaction in Iranian hospitals.