Job satisfaction correlates among Palestinian nurses in the West Bank

The recruitment and retention of highly qualified nurses present ongoing challenges to nursing service administrators throughout the world. Retention of nurses has been closely linked both to job satisfaction and selected demographic factors. Administrators must be aware of these demographic factors due to their importance to employees. The primary purpose of this study was to examine demographic correlates of job satisfiers and dissatisfiers among nurses in the West Bank of Palestine. Both the McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale (MMSS) and a single overall job satisfaction item were used to survey the entire population (n = 330) of nurses employed in 20 acute care hospitals. Significant relationships were found between job satisfaction and the demographic characteristics of marital status, distance traveled to work, number of years the nurse worked as an RN, and extended family responsibilities. This study of job satisfaction among nurses in a geographic location not previously studied provides nursing leaders in the West Bank with important information as they seek to retain and recruit nurses. The findings support the use of the MMSS in non-US countries and cultures. However, an argument is presented for further refinement of the instrument and the underlying conceptual framework of the instrument.