Factors Explaining Nurses' Satisfaction with the Performance of Their Duties in Canada

Shortages of registered nurses are frequently experienced in the provincial health care systems of Canada. The work environment needs attention to improve Nurses' Satisfaction with the Performance of their Duties (NSPD). A hypothesized model was developed to find the factors associated with NSPD. A cross-sectional study covering two similar-sized health regions in Canada was used to test the model developed. A self-reported survey was conducted for a sample of nurses (n = 230) consisting of Registered Nurses (n = 196) and Licensed Practical Nurses (n = 34) working in the cardiology or stroke units in the health regions of Halifax and Saskatoon. A regression model was built to test the hypothesized model. The final model specified significant predictors of NSPD with Years in Practice as a control variable. Significant predictors explaining the variance were: Hassles (21.0%, β = -0.098, p = 0.022); Positive Attitude (21.2%, β = 0.108, p = 0.011); Unit Organization (14.4%, β = 0.162, p = 0.003); Leader Actions (3.1%, β = 0.133, p = 0.007); Objective Culture (1.5%, β = 0.167, p = 0.003); Fulfillment (7.2%, β = 0.251, p < 0.000); and Recognition (4.2%, β = 0.295, p < 0.000). The final model explained 72.6% of the variation in SPD. The evidence from this study provides insight into factors associated with NSPD. Application of leadership, motivation, and organizational culture theories to manage the work environment of hospitals to improve NSPD has the potential to alleviate current and projected nursing shortages, thus securing an experienced and satisfied nursing workforce in hospitals.