Measuring nurses' satisfaction with the quality of their work and work environment

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Nurse satisfaction is crucial for healthcare quality and retention.
• Existing measures may not fully capture the complexities of the nursing work environment.
• The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) emphasizes organizational performance improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate the Work Quality Index (WQI), a novel instrument.
• To measure nurse satisfaction with their work and work culture.
• To align the WQI with proposed JCAHO standards for organizational performance.

Main Methods:

• Instrument development using factor analysis and maximum likelihood extraction.
• Study conducted with 245 nurses at a large acute care medical center.
• Validation of a 38-item scale with six subscales.

Main Results:

• The Work Quality Index (WQI) was successfully developed and validated.
• The WQI comprises six subscales: professional work environment, autonomy, work worth, professional relationships, role enactment, and benefits.
• The WQI demonstrates responsiveness to proposed JCAHO standards.

Conclusions:

• The Work Quality Index is a reliable and valid tool for assessing nurse satisfaction.
• The WQI can inform strategies for improving the nursing work environment and organizational performance.
• The instrument provides valuable insights into factors influencing nurse job satisfaction and retention.