Shared Values

A nationwide study on the impact of shared values on staff nurse job satisfaction and perceived productivity was done in 24 hospitals under different auspices, some of which were also Magnet Hospitals. Data were obtained from a 25% random sample of the staff nurse population (N = 2,336), 58% of the head nurse group, 65% of the clinical experts, and 66% of the top management. Staff nurses and clinical experts had more value congruence than did staff nurses and head nurses. A significant inverse correlation was found between value congruence and nurse job satisfaction and quality care. Explanations of the finding center on recent role changes for both staff nurses and head nurses, power differential, and evolving clarity of the staff nurse role. A serendipitious finding was that staff nurses reported fewer factors as important to their job satisfaction and perceived environment conducive to quality patient care than did other members of the nursing department. However, factors important to staff nurses were very important.