Correlates of Job Satisfaction among Public Health Nurses in Six Local Health Departments

Background: A major influence on nurse retention is job satisfaction. Few studies in the recent past have examined job satisfaction among public health nurses. The purpose of this project was to explore public health nurse job satisfaction is six local health departments and the relationship of several organizational variables to that satisfaction.

Methods: The number of respondents surveyed ranged from 2 to 19, consistent with the variation in the size of the participating LHDs. Most of the 69 respondents had a baccalaureate (75%) and had been in their position of case manager, public health nurse or manager for an median of 3 years. They had been at the LHD for a median of 10 years, with a range of less than one year (11%) to 31 years.

Findings: Overall, levels of job satisfaction were near the means reported in the literature for RNs. Within this sample, length of time in the organization was significantly (p<.05) and negatively correlated with satisfaction with coworkers (r=-.27) and interactions (r=-.29). The degree of centralized decision making was also significantly (p<.005) and negatively correlated with five of the eight job satisfaction subscales. Distributive justice has a positive and significant (p,.001) correlation with all job satisfaction subscales.

Conclusion: At least two major variables which affect job satisfaction are modifiable by LHD leadership; centralization of decision making and distributive justice. Also, given that PHNs who have been in the LHD longer are less satisfied with their job, attention to this group is warranted.