INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL Of ACADEMIC RESEARCH Vol. 2. No. 5.

September, 2010

JOB SATISFACTION AMONG NURSES IN IRAQ-ERBIL CITY

Dr. Nazar A. Sherin Al-Doski, Dr. Kareem F. Aziz

College of Nursing, University of Jerash (JORDAN)

ABSTRACT

Job satisfaction in staff nurses should be of great concern to any organization. Job satisfaction is an
important component of nurses' lives that can influence patient safety, productivity and performance, quality of care,
retention and turnover, commitment to the organization and the profession. The investigators carried out a
descriptive inference study from Feb. 2009 through mid of September 2009. A purposive sample of (200) staff
nurse were selected recruited from (4) general Hospitals. The study found that most nurses in hospitals were
dissatisfied with their job description and the study find a relationship between job satisfaction and some
demographic characteristics like level of education and number of years in position. The study recommended that
we have to pay considerable attention to issue of job description for nurse as way for improvement the quality of
nursing services

Key words: job satistisfaction; staff nurse; Erbil- Iraq

1. INTRODUCTION

Job satisfaction in staff nurses should be of great concern to any organization. Nurses hold the majority of
positions in most health care settings, and replacement of licensed personnel is costly and time consuming. What
makes some so happy with their chosen profession, and others so unhappy? Aside from a change of career, is
there a solution? With the current nursing shortage, and the anticipation of worsening conditions, we must set out to
investigate the sources of dissatisfaction in the health care setting. (9,11). There, have been numerous changes in
the health care system, including cost-containment efforts, increased growth of managed care, and shortages of
many health professionals. It is important to assess the impact these changes are having on the quality of health
care delivery and the way various health professionals view their jobs. This understanding is particularly important
in times of shortages because some researchers suggest that job dissatisfaction over time can result in burnout and
eventually turnover (2, 8). Job dissatisfaction resulting in burnout and turnover would exacerbate the current
shortages and result in serious understaffing of health care facilities. This understaffing has the potential to have a
negative impact on the delivery of patient care because there is evidence to suggest that reduction in nursing and
other health professional staff below certain levels is related to poor patient outcomes.

2. IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

Understanding the impact of health care delivery system changes on nursing and allied health professionals
has significant implications for educators and employers. For educators, understanding the changed health care
environment is necessary to guide curricular decisions, whereas for employers, the information is important to guide
decisions about staffing and job design. Extrinsic work values such as, job security, salary, fringe benefits, and work
schedules, are also considered to be important in job satisfaction.
Aim
The aim of this study was to find out the extent to which nurses are satisfied with their jobs in puplic
hospitals in Erbil- Iraq.

3. METHODS

Design of the study

The investigator carried out a descriptive study from Feb. 2009 through mid of September 2009. A purposive
sample of (200) staff nurse were selected. The residences were selected depending on the following criteria:
First: Those nurses whom were in the position for at least 6 months

Data collection:
Interviews technique was used as method to gather data about and factors influencing productivity from
different nursing units. Recruited from (4) general Hospitals.

Tools
A questionnaire was constructed which extract data about demographic characteristics of the nurses, level
of job satisfaction, level of education and social status. Job satisfaction was evaluated on several points: Profits,
Job performance, Intrinsic work values, relationship, responsibility and communication.

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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL Of ACADEMIC RESEARCH Vol. 2. No. 5. September, 2010

4. RESULT

Table 1. Socio-demographic characteristic for sample

Characteristic Frequency percentage

Gender:
Male 75 37. 5%
Female 125 62. 5%
Age:
<30 years 62 31%
30-39 years 91 45. 5%
40-49 years 35 17. 5%
50-59 years 12 6%
Marital status:
Single 74 37%
Married 108 54%
Divorce 14 7%
Widow 4 2%
Level of education:
Nursing school 32 16%
Nursing High school 80 40%
Nursing institute 50 25%
Nursing college 38 19%
Number of years working :
1-5 years 32 16%
6-10 years 46 23%
11-15 years 34 17%
16-20 years 38 19%
21-25 years 36 18%
>25 years 14 7%

Table 2. Result of one-sample t-test for the level of job satisfaction

Variable N Mean Std. Deviation t-value Sig.

The amount of responsibility you are given 200 2. 1200 1. 18856 -10. 471 0. 01
The freedom to choose your own method of work 200 2. 1500 1. 18088 -10. 180 0. 01
The amount of variety in your work 200 2. 2850 1. 28532 -7. 867 0. 01
Your colleagues and fellow worker 200 2. 2850 1. 28532 -7. 867 0. 01
Taking everything in to consideration, how do you feel 200 2. 2100 1. 23837 -9. 022 0. 01
about your job as a whole
The physical working conditions 200 2. 1450 1. 18363 -10. 216 0. 01
The opportunity to use your ability 200 2. 3700 1. 30830 -6. 810 0. 01
Your rate of pay 200 2. 0750 1. 13393 -11. 536 0. 01
The recognition you get for your good work 200 2. 1900 1. 24566 -9. 196 0. 01
Your hours of work 200 1. 9950 1. 06331 -13. 367 0. 01
Total score 200 21. 5. 13774 -22. 50 0. 01
8250
These results indicate that the level of job satisfaction for staff nurses were low

Table 3. Result of the difference in job satisfaction according to gender

gender N Mean Std. Deviation T Sig

Male 75 22. 6933 5. 85402 1. 86 N. S.
Female 125 21. 3040 4. 60229

Table 4. Result of the difference in job satisfaction according to age

Source of variance Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 36. 411 3 12. 137 . 456 N. S
Within Groups 5216. 464 196 26. 615
Total 5252. 875 199

Table 5. Result of the difference in job satisfaction according to social status

Source of variance Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 106. 060 3 35. 353 1. 346 N. S
Within Groups 5146. 815 196 26. 259
Total 5252. 875 199

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Table 6. Result of the difference in job satisfaction according to Level of education

Source of variance Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 739. 070 3 246. 357 10. 697 0. 01
Within Groups 4513. 805 196 23. 030
Total 5252. 875 199

Table 7. Result of the difference in job satisfaction according to years working

Source of variance Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig.

Between Groups 693. 897 5 138. 779 5. 906 0. 01

Within Groups 4558. 978 194 23. 500
Total 5252. 875 199

5. DISCUSSION

Relative to their demographic characteristics as shown in table (1), the greatest numbers of the nurses were
between (30-39) years old which accounted for (45. 5%) of them were at middle age, married (54%), educated at
nursing high school (40%),and have an average of (6-10 years) of years working. This can be attributed to the fact
that young nurses have just jointed their organization and they faces a lot of challenges at the beginning of their
carrier. A study submitted shown that nurses younger than 30 years and the technically trained were more
dissatisfied with the available opportunities to attend continuing education courses. Nurses with more years of
experience, higher professional titles, and more opportunities to attend continuing education programs were more
likely to have a high level of job satisfaction than nurses with fewer years of experience (3).
In respect to marital status (54%) of them were married, job satisfaction are found to be influenced by marital
status, those married nurses found to be lest satisfied to their jobs, this life style of each group may explain the
result. Results of staff nurses and unmarried nurses showed trends of more dissatisfaction than the married and
nurses of higher positions (4).
Table (2) shows items related to level of job satisfaction for staff nurses were low, the findings indicated that,
overall, nurses were dissatisfied with work, pay, and promotions. Pay was rated as the least satisfying aspect of
work followed by promotions. Moreover, the whole sample perceived that nursing provided a high level of personal
satisfaction, but nurses were most dissatisfied with salary and lack of prospects for promotion (5, 10).
In respect to gender as shown in table (3), (62. 5 %) of the sample were female. in fact it shows there are no
relationship between job satisfactions according to gender. while practically all studies A study have shown that
females possess higher levels of job satisfaction compared to males (3,12). While another study, ffound that no
conclusive evidence with regard to the levels of satisfaction among men and women has been reported (1). This is
may due to male and females having lower expectations at work due to “the poorer position in the labor market that
other professional have held.
Table (5), it shows there are no relationship between job satisfaction according to social status, The findings
suggest that personal characteristics have important influences on nurses' job perceptions, The findings show that
job satisfaction has a significant direct negative effect on emotional exhaustion, whereas emotional exhaustion has
a direct positive effect on depersonalization (6).
The majority of the nurse from high nursing high school, which represented (40%), table (6) shows
significant differences between nurses satisfaction concerning the level of education, this may due that educated
nurses provide good environment for her works. Throughout the last decade, policymakers have recognized that
education makes a difference in providing safe and appropriate patient care. There is a growing consensus in the
higher education community that a liberal arts education should be embedded in all the professional disciplines and
this effect on nurses’ job satisfaction. (8)
The effect of educational level on job satisfaction has been conflicting. Some studies have found a positive
association with job satisfaction (4,7) and others a negative association.
Table (7) it shows that there is significant difference in job satisfaction according to number of years in
working; it shows that the more experiences nurse is more satisfied with the job than fewer experiences nurses are.
Blegen (2) found that job satisfaction correlated less strongly with age or years of experience,

6. CONCLUSION

The study found that most nurses in hospitals were dissatisfied with their job description and the study find a
relationship between job satisfaction and some demographic characteristics like level of education and number of
years in position. The results of this study should also be viewed in the context of the turbulent social, economic
and political circumstances that prevail over the Middle East. These circumstances can easily exacerbate the
situation and can contribute to burnout and job dissatisfaction among all health care professionals.

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7. RECOMMENDATION:

a. Pay considerable attention to issue of job description for nurse as way for improvement the quality of
nursing services.
b. Nurses should be given a more attention and interested regarding (salary, promotions, adiminstrative
policy, continuning education, and research)
c. Nurse managers should pay close attention to nurses ‘pay, career advancement opportunities, and
promotions. They should recognize nurses’ achievements and provide opportunities for continuing education prog-
rams and independent work with emphasis on critical thinking and decision making, autonomy, accounttability, and
delegation
d. Special attention should be paid to the norms regarding interaction among males and females and social
interaction among professionals from the opposite gender.

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