Job satisfaction of registered nurses working in an acute hospital

The links between job satisfaction and the retention of nurses are well established in the literature. Given the current difficulties experienced by the NHS in recruiting and retaining sufficient numbers of nurses, the need to understand how satisfied nurses are in their jobs becomes clear. This study set out to measure the job satisfaction of registered nurses working in adult acute medical and surgical specialties using the Mueller McCloskey (1990) Satisfaction Scale, a 31-item Likert questionnaire. Data were collected from 141 E-grade nurses working in a ward environment. In addition to providing a general outline of reported job satisfaction, the findings of this study identify key areas of reported job satisfaction around peer socialization and dissatisfaction with childcare facilities and control over work conditions. Based on these findings, recommendations are made that may affect positively nurse retention and suggestions put forward for future use of the Mueller McCloskey Satisfaction Scale.