The relationship of role strain, personal control/decision latitude, and work-related social support to the job satisfaction of distance nurse educators

Nursing faculty often have had little preparation for teaching in higher education and less preparation for teaching at a distance, where students and faculty are separated from each other by time and/or geography for a majority of the experience. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the job satisfaction of distance nurse educators and its relationship to role strain, personal control/decision latitude, and work-related social support. The relationship of job satisfaction to preparation for teaching at a distance, the number of distance courses taught, and the faculty experience of having been a distance education student were also examined. A descriptive exploratory and correlational design was employed. The Job-Demand-Control-Support Model (Johnson & Hall, 1988) served as the theoretical framework. An Internet survey included a researcher-developed demographic questionnaire; the Role Strain Scale of Rizzo, House, and Lirtzman (1970); the Job-in-General (JIG) Scale (Ironson et al., 1989); and the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) (Karasek, 1985). Data collection occurred during a three week period in 2004 and yielded 394 usable surveys from nursing educators with at least a baccalaureate degree who had taught at least one distance education course in U.S. colleges or universities since September of 2001.; Study participants report high levels of job satisfaction, personal control/decision latitude, and social support. Role ambiguity is high and role conflict is moderate. The combination of role strain, personal control/decision latitude, and social support accounts for 51% of the reported job satisfaction. No significant relationship between job satisfaction and preparation for teaching at a distance, having been a distance education student, or the number of distance courses taught is identified. Content analysis of written responses reveals that distance nurse educators appreciate the freedom and creativity that distance teaching provides but they find the students challenging and have pedagogical concerns related to the distance teaching.