Job enrichment, work motivation, and job satisfaction in hospital wards: testing the job characteristics model

This study investigated work motivation and job satisfaction at hospital wards with high and low levels of job enrichment. Primary nursing was assumed to represent a highly enriched job, whereas functional nursing represented a job with a low level of enrichment. Five surgical wards were divided into these two categories based on the structured interviews with head nurses. Work motivation and job satisfaction among ward personnel were assessed by a questionnaire. The ward personnel occupying highly enriched jobs reported significantly higher work motivation and satisfaction with the management than the personnel occupying jobs with a low level of enrichment.