Nurses' autonomy and job satisfaction

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Healthcare Management
• Public Health

Background:

• Nurses' professional autonomy is often constrained by physician oversight.
• A 1983 Israeli physicians' strike provided a unique opportunity to study nurses working independently.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare nurses' perceptions of autonomy and job satisfaction during a physicians' strike versus normal conditions.
• To examine the relationship between role performance and job satisfaction/autonomy during the strike.

Main Methods:

• A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from primary health care nurses in Israel.
• The study achieved a response rate of 61% (n=1144) from nurses nationwide.

Main Results:

• The strike increased nurses' workload but also offered opportunities for initiating programs.
• Most nurses reported satisfaction with their work and perceived autonomy.
• Increased routine and self-initiated activities showed a weak positive correlation with job satisfaction and perceived autonomy during the strike.

Conclusions:

• Despite experiencing increased autonomy during the strike, most Israeli primary care nurses did not express a desire for greater autonomy.
• Exposure to a significant change in contextual autonomy did not alter nurses' general preference for their existing work structure.