Authors

  1. Lacey, Susan R. PhD, RN, FAAN
  2. Teasley, Susan L. RN, CCRC
  3. Cox, Karen S. PhD, RN, FAAN
  4. Olney, Adrienne MS
  5. Kramer, Marlene PhD, RN, FAAN
  6. Schmalenberg, Claudia MSN, RN

Abstract

Objective: This article describes the development and testing of a new instrument that measures organizational job satisfaction (OJS).

 

Background: Nurse satisfaction includes 2 different types of satisfaction: OJS and professional work satisfaction. To obtain valid results, each type must be measured correctly.

 

Methods: A metasynthesis of OJS was conducted from 3 sources: nurse satisfaction instruments, attributes present in recruitment advertisements, and nursing comments from a national survey. A cross-walk of these sources provided 17 consistent OJS satisfiers. A survey of 10,000 nurses identified the importance of these satisfiers.

 

Results: Cronbach [alpha] for the scale was .85. The satisfiers were grouped into 3 categories: universally important, moderately important, and unimportant.

 

Conclusions: A synthesis from 3 sources, including identification of important satisfiers, provides validity for the OJS scale. The scale is a reliable and valid tool used to assess and evaluate strategies to improve the nurses' work environment.