Job satisfaction among expatriate nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

To investigate the association between job resources, job satisfaction, and moderating effect of COVID-19 anxiety and practice setting among expatriate acute care nurses in Qatar.

Expatriate nurses are more vulnerable to reduced job satisfaction. Increased COVID-19 anxiety and reduced perceived job resources among acute care nurses impact their job satisfaction more than that of general ward nurses.

An online survey was used to recruit 293 expatriate acute care nurses from four public hospitals in Qatar. Data were collected between June and October of 2021. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. We ensured to follow STROBE guidelines when doing this research.

Job resources were a significant predictor of job satisfaction among expatriate acute care nurses (β = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73-0.85, p < 0.001). There was no significant moderating effect of COVID-19 anxiety (β = 0.055, 95% CI: -0.61 to 0.151, p = 0.329) or workplace setting on this relationship (χ²  = 0.077, df = 1, p = 0.781).

Our study found that the relationship between job resources and acute care nurses' job satisfaction is consistent across different workplace settings regardless of the level of COVID-19 anxiety. This is in line with previous studies that have highlighted the importance of job resources in determining nurses' job satisfaction.

The study emphasizes the need for sufficient job resources for improved job satisfaction among expatriate acute care nurses in Qatar, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nursing leaders must prioritize adequate resources such as staffing, proper training, and policies that increase nurse autonomy to improve job satisfaction and reduce the negative effects of dissatisfaction.