CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

Background and Rationale of the Study Job satisfaction in registered nurses should be of great concern to any organization. Nurses hold the majority of positions in most health care settings, and replacement of licensed personnel is costly and time consuming. As newly graduated nurses, we have limited time but ample exposure to varying degrees of job satisfaction. What makes some so happy with their chosen profession, and others so unhappy? Aside from a change of career, is there a solution? With the current nursing shortage, and the anticipation of worsening conditions, we set out to investigate the sources of dissatisfaction in the health care setting. We reviewed several scholarly sources and withdrew pertinent information. Following the discussion of literature findings is a summary including suggestions for further research.
In the article written by Fletcher, job satisfactions as well as dissatisfactions were investigated. Questionnaires were mailed to 5,192 registered nurses (RNs), 1,780 of which were returned and scored using several evaluation methods (Fletcher, 2001). Researchers looked at job satisfaction, patient satisfaction and safety, extrinsic work values, role of the immediate supervisor, and intent to stay in nursing.
Job satisfaction was evaluated on several levels: Profits, Job performance, Intrinsic work values, and, Patient care issues. Profits referred not to personal financial gain, but to the organization’s profits. Many nurses responded feeling "devalued in their job" (Fletcher, 2001), and resentful of "the perceived placing of profits over patients…" (Fletcher, 2001). Job Performance was not only applied to themselves, but attitudes and performance of co-workers on a horizontal and vertical plane were also considered. Many held expectations of fellow employees to a high standard and "…were frequently