Research conducted by UB School of Nursing Associate Professor Carol S. Brewer surveyed job satisfaction and work retention among nurses. Her work was published in this month's issue of the American Journal of Nursing.
Brewer joined NYU professor Christine Kourner on this research endeavor, and surveyed a sample of 3,200 nurses from 35 states who had been licensed and employed for up to 18 months. The nurses were asked what they thought of their work setting and whether or not they had left their first jobs.
"Every job has its pros and cons," Brewer said. "Nursing has made great efforts in studying problems in the workforce."
According to the study, 600 of the nurses participating had left their first jobs. 42 percent of these nurses complained of poor management and 37 percent claimed that stressful work conditions were the reasons for leaving their jobs.
The study states several reasons for nurses leaving their jobs, such as increased overtime, being assigned to evening, night or rotating shifts as well as hazardous work conditions and being injured on the job.
Not all nurses left their jobs for negative reasons. 34 percent of nurses left their first jobs in order to pursue employment in different areas of nursing.
"The majority of nurses were generally satisfied with their jobs and were still in nursing, but has just changed jobs," Brewer said. "There is smaller subset who were not satisfied. We need to find more ways to keep them satisfied to keep them at their jobs."
According to Brewer, career development plays a big part in the job decisions of less experienced nurses. The study notes that nurses who have received an Associates degree are more likely to leave their jobs or change careers than those who have obtained a Bachelor's degree.
"It's to be expected in new nurses who haven't found what they want to specialize in," she said. "It's good for nurses to find the professional settings in which they are comfortable."
The study also noted that since 50-60 percent of nurses will work in hospitals during their career that is where the most job migration is found.
However, Brewer explains that there is no correlation between the amount of nurses who have worked in hospitals and the amount of nurses who leave their jobs at hospitals.
Hospitals are some of the more stressful areas in which a nurse can work. Many nurses leave jobs at hospitals in order to pursue careers in less stressful areas of nursing such as nursing homes, schools and home health care.
"It may not be good if nurses are leaving their positions, but it is a good incentive to improve (work) settings," Brewer said.
Still, the responsibility in assuring job satisfaction is twofold.
"An employer's greatest concern should be the satisfaction of their nurses," Brewer said. "New nurses (also) need to think about who their employers are and who can mitigate and solve problems,"
This study will continue following nurses and getting their feedback in order to assure the need for creating a more satisfying work experience is met.
"Findings have shown that the work environment for newly licensed RNs has both positive and negative aspects," Brewer said. "Future analyses will focus on evaluating these factors' contribution to the new RN's longevity in their workplace and in nursing."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
