Views of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction in Australian long-term care

The existing job satisfaction literature has tended towards an overemphasis on job satisfaction instruments. In the study reported here the views of 27 nurses and assistants-in-nursing, collected through focus group interviews, were examined to determine the factors that contribute to workplace satisfaction and dissatisfaction in long-term care of older people. Content analysis of focus group interview data revealed that job satisfaction was related to workplace flexibility, residents, working within a team environment and dedication to the service of optimal resident care. Dissatisfaction was linked to working with unskilled or inappropriately trained staff, laborious tasks such as documentation, staffing levels, tensions within role expectations and the increasing need to be available for overtime. In spite of different role expectations, long-term nursing home care is reported to be a very satisfying area in which to work. However, care managers need to put in place strategies for building improved job satisfaction and workplace incentives to encourage graduates to consider long-term care opportunities. Limitations of the study include the small number of participants, bias towards one organization and lack of generalizability of the results. However, the findings confirm many earlier job satisfaction studies and further support the need to consider these issues in relation to recruitment and retention in long-term care.