NEW ORLEANS―Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) at a tertiary care children’s hospital expressed increased job satisfaction when working with patients and their families as well as in dynamic teams with other professionals, according to research presented at the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners 2019 meeting held March 7–10 in New Orleans.
Catherine J. Goodhue, MN, RN, CPNP, from the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and associates, supplied 127 PNPs with an anonymous Qualtrics survey that included questions on demographics and the Misener NP Job Satisfaction Scale (MNPJSS), a 44-question scale that assesses NP job satisfaction in a variety of practice settings. NPs were also invited to participate in 1 of 5 focus groups conducted by a doctoral‐prepared qualitative researcher.
Of the 127 PNPs, 45 (35.4%) completed the Qualtrics survey. Results demonstrated that the items with the highest job satisfaction ratings were status in the community, (mean score, 4.86/6), professional interaction with other disciplines (mean score, 4.80/6), variety in patient load (mean score, 4.84/6), and percentage of time spent in direct patient care (mean score, 4.69/6). The themes from the 5 focus groups that corresponded to greater job satisfaction included value of collegial relationships and meaningfulness of work.
“An awareness of the drivers of job satisfaction is important to promote a positive work environment, improve quality of care, and decrease turnover,” … “More research in this area is warranted to determine how to sustain and strengthen these positive motivators,” stated the authors.
Reference
Goodhue CJ, Barin EN, Burke RV, Baird J, Murray PM, Harris DG. Pediatric nurse practitioner job satisfaction at a free‐standing tertiary care children’s hospital: a mixed‐methods study. Presented at: National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners annual meeting 2019; March 7-10, 2019; New Orleans, LA. Abstract T8.
By Madeline Morr, Analyzing Pediatric Nurse Practitioners Job Satisfaction in a Hospital Setting on clinicaladvisor.com