Date of Award

Fall 2007

Project Type

Thesis

Program or Major

Nursing

Degree Name

Master of Science

Abstract

Nursing job satisfaction is related to nursing retention. During this current nursing shortage, nursing leaders need to investigate ways to improve work environments to increase nurse satisfaction. Research has shown nurse job satisfaction greatly impacts the quality of patient care and nurse retention. This research project implemented a nursing model of practice that included organizational values that could be linked to improved job satisfaction. A nursing model derived from The Whole-Person Caring Model (Thornton) and using principles of Shared Governance, Empowerment and Crucial Communication was the independent variable used to measure changes in nurses' perceptions of work environment and job satisfaction. In addition, principles of Transformational Leadership theory guided the intervention.

The study was a sub-study of a larger action research project and used a pre-experimental one group pre/post study design, a nursing model of practice and principles of Transformational Leadership Theory to measure improvement in job satisfaction in a group of nurses at a large acute care medical center. The hypothesis tested in this sub-study was that the job satisfaction of nurses who experience the transformational leadership education intervention, crucial conversation training and empowerment trough shared governance will be greater following the implementation of these interventions compared to their job satisfaction prior to the educational intervention. Based on the results of the Adapted Perceived Nursing Work Environment Study pre/post survey and the NDQNI survey there was a change in job satisfaction post work environment transformation demonstrating that utilization of a nursing practice model inclusive of evidenced based practice principles for organizational values can make a difference for nurses.

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