Exploring Role Discrepancies Among Jordanian Nurses: Implications for Continuing Education and Workforce Policy

Discrepancies between nurses' ideal and actual roles can undermine job satisfaction, role identity, and care quality. This study explored how registered nurses in Jordan perceive their ideal versus actual roles and how these perceptions differ by demographic and organizational factors.

A descriptive cross-sectional design was used with 357 nurses from governmental, educational, and private hospitals. Data were collected with a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Pieta Nursing Role Conception tool, which evaluates service, professional, and bureaucratic roles. Analyses included descriptive statistics, t tests, and analysis of variance.

A significant overall discrepancy was found (mean difference = 0.52, p < .001), with the largest gaps in service (0.96) and professional roles (0.72). Bureaucratic roles were practiced more than desired (-0.08). Role discrepancies varied by age, hospital type, education, experience, and practice area.

The findings highlight the need for continuing education, leadership development, and policy reforms to align nursing roles with professional expectations and improve workforce outcomes.