Hospital nurses' job satisfaction: a literature review

Aim  A literature review of nurses’ job satisfaction. Background  Little is known about factors evoking job satisfaction among nurses, whereas more is known about stress, burnout and dissatisfaction. The positive viewpoint is an important research area and needs to be studied. Methods  Original studies were accessed by a systematic search from electronic databases (Abi/Inform, PsycINFO, Cinahl and Medline Ovid) using the keywords ‘nurses’ and ‘job satisfaction’ and chosen by certain criteria. The data chosen for this review consist of 21 scientific articles. Data were analysed using content analysis. Results and conclusions  Most of the studies are quantitative studies, the majority of them were conducted in the United States. Job satisfaction at work varies in different specialty areas of nursing work. Two significant themes in job satisfaction are interpersonal relationships between nurses and patient care. Different ways of organizing work are also relevant for job satisfaction. Implications for nursing management  Nurse managers have a strong role in promoting nurses’ job satisfaction: attention should be paid especially to strengthening nurses’ interpersonal relationships and facilitate nurses’ capacity to deliver high‐quality patient care.