Job satisfaction among nurses caring for war-victims in Sri Lanka

Objective: To identify factors associated with job satisfaction among nurses, caring for war-victims in Sri Lanka. Methods: The study was performed during the last month of 26-year-long civil war of Sri Lanka. Descriptive cross-sectional study design was adopted to collect data from 241 nurses from two hospitals with stratified random sampling by work-stations (departments) of each hospital. A self-administered anonymous questionnaire was utilized. Results: Non-response rate was less than 15%. Prevalence of nurses, who were not satisfied with their job, was 65%. Low level of job satisfaction among nurses was strongly associated with the low level of self-rated work performance as a nurse, poor relationship with supervisors and overall working conditions. Poor support from colleagues in the workplace was also a strong predictor. Being integrated with triage system of war-victim management, lengthier service period, working in a larger hospital, being married, and having more than two children also predicted the low level of work satisfaction. Conclusion: Job satisfaction among nurses, who were caring for war-victims, was a function of family responsibilities, intensity of work in the current work-station, and the level of social support at work-station. Curriculum development of nurses' training schools and continuous professional development programs in health sector, as well as health sector planning should consider these factors, especially in countries with frequent natural and politically-motivated disasters. Key Words: Job satisfaction, Nurses, Work-Station, War-victims