Determinants of Job Satisfaction among Nurse / Midwife Educators in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Job satisfaction represents an important element of Nurse Educators' survival which has implications for performance, retention, dedication to the institution, the nursing profession itself and preparing nursing students who are capable of providing high quality patient care. The purpose of the study was to assess overall level of job satisfaction and satisfaction with nine facets of job satisfaction among Nurse/Midwife Educators in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria.

Methods: A descriptive cross sectional survey was used for the study. A total population study of Nurse /Midwife Educators in Calabar was undertaken. A self-administered structured questionnaire adapted from the standardized “Employee Opinion Survey” with a reliability of 0.60 to 0.90 coefficient was used for data collection. Data were computer analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 for Windows. Logistic regression was used to verify association between overall job satisfaction and facets/subscales of job satisfaction scale.

Results: A total of 50 respondents participated in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 46.9±6.9 while the mean years of working experience was 24.9±6.1.  The respondents were made up of (40) 90.0% female and (10) 10.0% male. The mean overall job satisfaction score was 2.63±0.62. The results also revealed that majority of the respondents 41(82.0%) were moderately satisfied with their work while 9(18.0%) were slightly satisfied. Most of the respondents 47(94.0%) were satisfied with the job itself subscale with a mean score of 3.27±0.59, while the least satisfying facet was communication subscale with a mean of 2.50 ± 0.90. Safety and working relationships were significantly related to overall job satisfaction.

Conclusion: The study has shown that the few but experienced Nurse/Midwife Educators in Calabar were not fully satisfied with most facets of their work which could have adverse effect on their work output and overall performance. Therefore in order to address the adverse effect of dissatisfaction, it is recommended that all sub-scales of job satisfaction be addressed by employers of Nurse Educators and the Professional Nursing Association with emphasis on safety and working relationships.

Keywords: Job satisfaction, Working relationships, Nurse /Midwife Educator, Nigeria