April 24, 2000

BIRMINGHAM, AL — A study conducted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital found UAB nurses have above average levels of job satisfaction, above average perceptions of group cohesion and lower than average levels of job stress. "It means this is a great place to work," says Karen Shader, Ph.D., hospital education coordinator. The study is being submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

The study surveyed 246 nurse mangers and staff nurses working in 12 units at UAB hospital. The response rate was 42 percent of nurse managers and 63 percent of staff nurses. "Findings are comparable to reports from nurses at pediatric institutions, where traditionally, job satisfaction is higher," says Shader. "We are very pleased."

The study reports UAB nurses feel the work environment is very positive. "Nurses feel they are viewed as respected professionals, that they are supported by the administration and that they have stable work schedules," says Shader.

"Our nurses are certainly one of our most important assets," says Martin Nowak, executive director of UAB Hospital. "We realize how very important it is to provide our entire staff with a positive work environment in order to keep the good nurses and staff we have. And having an exceptional workforce is essential to remaining a top-notch, competitive hospital."

The study confirmed, as expected, the relationships that exist between job stress and work satisfaction, stable schedules, group cohesion and anticipated turnover. "We found job stress decreased with high levels of work satisfaction, stable schedules and group cohesion, while job stress increased with high levels of anticipated turnover," says Shader.

Dissatisfaction and turnover of nursing staff can be costly problems for hospitals. Information from the study will be used to evaluate and improve retention strategies at UAB. "Many factors have been reported to influence satisfaction and retention of nurses, but few studies have provided a basis for evaluating retention strategies," says Shader. "These findings will help us do that."

And although this study did not specifically evaluate the impact of job satisfaction on patient care, literature supports that there is a relationship between job satisfaction and the quality of care nurses provide, says Shader.

Lead investigators for the study were Shader; Mary Nash, Ph.D., associate executive director and chief nursing officer for UAB Hospital; and Marion Broome, Ph.D., professor of nursing and associate dean of the Center for Nursing Research at UAB.