Staff satisfaction and retention and the role of the Nursing Unit Manager

Duffield, C; Roche, M; O'Brien-Pallas, L; Catling-Paull, C; King, M

Staff satisfaction and retention and the role of the Nursing Unit Manager

Duffield, C

Roche, M

O'Brien-Pallas, L Catling-Paull, C

King, M

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Collegian, 2009, 16 (1), pp. 11 - 17
Issue Date:: 2009-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Duffield, C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6534-8743	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Roche, M https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3831-537X	en_US
dc.contributor.author	O'Brien-Pallas, L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Catling-Paull, C https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7352-2879	en_US
dc.contributor.author	King, M	en_US
dc.date.issued	2009-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Collegian, 2009, 16 (1), pp. 11 - 17	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1322-7696	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/9716
dc.description.abstract	Despite recent increases in nursing recruitment in Australia, participation in the workforce is still below the numbers predicted to meet future needs. This paper discusses factors impacting on nurses' job satisfaction, satisfaction with nursing and intention to leave in public sector hospitals in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Staffing and patient data were collected on 80 medical and surgical units during 2004/5. This included a wide range of individual nurse data from a Nurse Survey; detailed and comprehensive staffing data including skill mix variables; patient characteristics; workload data; a profile of the ward's characteristics; and adverse event patient data. Nurses who were intending to remain in their job were more likely to be satisfied, be older, and have dependents. They were also likely to be experiencing good leadership and to have allied health support on the ward. Most nurses reported being satisfied with their profession, while a lower proportion reported satisfaction with their current position. Work environment factors such as nurses' autonomy, control over their practice and nursing leadership on the ward were statistically significant predictors of job satisfaction. This study will inform decision-making and policy for managers in both the public and private hospital sectors. This is the first large study which explored the work environment at the ward/unit level in public hospitals in NSW (Australia). It illustrates that there are no typical wards; each ward functions differently. The importance of nursing leadership at the ward level to job satisfaction, satisfaction with nursing and intention to leave, cannot be overstated. Crown Copyright © 2009.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Collegian	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.colegn.2008.12.004	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Nursing	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Logistic Models	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Attitude of Health Personnel	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Intention	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Leadership	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Nurse's Role	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Interprofessional Relations	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Job Satisfaction	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Nursing Administration Research	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Nursing Methodology Research	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Nurse Administrators	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Nursing Staff, Hospital	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Facility Environment	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Hospitals, Public	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Organizational Culture	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Personnel Loyalty	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Personnel Turnover	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Workload	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Professional Autonomy	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	New South Wales	en_US
dc.title	Staff satisfaction and retention and the role of the Nursing Unit Manager	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	1	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	16	en_US
utslib.for	1110 Nursing	en_US
dc.location.activity	Australia
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Midwifery
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Nursing
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	1	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	16	en_US

Abstract:

Despite recent increases in nursing recruitment in Australia, participation in the workforce is still below the numbers predicted to meet future needs. This paper discusses factors impacting on nurses' job satisfaction, satisfaction with nursing and intention to leave in public sector hospitals in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Staffing and patient data were collected on 80 medical and surgical units during 2004/5. This included a wide range of individual nurse data from a Nurse Survey; detailed and comprehensive staffing data including skill mix variables; patient characteristics; workload data; a profile of the ward's characteristics; and adverse event patient data. Nurses who were intending to remain in their job were more likely to be satisfied, be older, and have dependents. They were also likely to be experiencing good leadership and to have allied health support on the ward. Most nurses reported being satisfied with their profession, while a lower proportion reported satisfaction with their current position. Work environment factors such as nurses' autonomy, control over their practice and nursing leadership on the ward were statistically significant predictors of job satisfaction. This study will inform decision-making and policy for managers in both the public and private hospital sectors. This is the first large study which explored the work environment at the ward/unit level in public hospitals in NSW (Australia). It illustrates that there are no typical wards; each ward functions differently. The importance of nursing leadership at the ward level to job satisfaction, satisfaction with nursing and intention to leave, cannot be overstated. Crown Copyright © 2009.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/9716