Job Satisfaction of Nurse Anesthesia Faculty: A Preliminary Study

• Main Author: Embrey, James Patrick
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 1991
• Subjects: Education
• Online Access: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/4616; http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5701&context=etd

This study examined how satisfied nurse anesthesia faculty are with their jobs. In addition, this study identified factors that influenced a nurse anesthesia faculty member's job satisfaction level. A total of 304 nurse anesthesia educators from across the United States participated in this questionnaire survey study. A researcher developed personal data form (PDF) collected demographic information. The 1967 version of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) provided job satisfaction measurements. There was a statistically significant correlation between the general satisfaction scores measured by the PDF and MSQ. Analysis of demographic data provided a CRNA educator profIle. Job satisfaction data indicated that nurse anesthesia faculty job satisfaction levels were weakly associated with the sex of the CRNA educator, anesthesiologists' recognition for work well·done, assistance in upgrading clinical skills, teamwork, and program responsibilities. Age, marital status, years of experience both as a CRNA and CRNA educator, highest education degree completed, employed by anesthesia alma mater, primary practice setting, number of hospital beds, and number of hours worked per week provided no statistically significant effect on job satisfaction. The 20 "MSQ" subscales mean scores were tabulated. Respondents were most satisfied with Social Service, Moral Values, Achievement, Ability Utilization, Activity, and Variety. Respondents were least satisfied with Company Policies and Practices, Recognition, Advancement, Supervision-Human Relations, and Compensation. The conclusions reached by this study are that nurse anesthesia faculty were somewhat satisfied with their jobs. Anesthesiologists' recognition for work well-done, assistance in upgrading clinical skills, and teamwork were identified as possible job satisfaction factors. Male respondents had higher mean satisfaction scores for the 20 "MSQ" subscales than their female counterparts. Program responsibilities of CRNA educators also possibly influenced their level of job satisfaction. The areas of future research include: (1) an analysis of the possible interactions of this study's demographic variables, (2) an examination of the nurse anesthesia educator's gender effect on job satisfaction, (3) a more detailed analysis of nurse anesthesia faculty program responsibilities, and (4) a re-examination of anesthesiologists' recognition for work well-done, teamwork, and assistance in upgrading clinical skills to ascertain the degree of effect these variables have on nurse anesthesia faculty's job satisfaction.