Caring Behaviors and Job Satisfaction

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between nurses' expression of caring and job satisfaction. BACKGROUND: Nurses have encountered barriers in their ability to express caring and find meaning and value in their work, which contributes to a decline in job satisfaction. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive correlational study randomly surveyed 5,000 (N = 1,091) medical-surgical staff nurses. RESULTS: Participants demonstrated confidence in their ability to express caring. The participants reported positive job satisfaction. A correlation was established between Caring Efficacy Scale, Index of Work Satisfaction (IWS), and the 6 components of the IWS. Spending time with patients was found to be a predictor of the nurses' ability to express caring behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: Caring and job satisfaction were correlated. Time was a predictor of their ability to express caring. Participants' age, years in nursing, and years in the same institution influenced both how nurses perceived their ability to express care and their level of job satisfaction.