| Directors of nursing staff development in hospital settings hold a position of critical importance. These individuals are responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating educational programs and services aimed at responding to the complex and diverse needs of the health care institution, in general, and the nursing service department in particular. It is essential that this position is sustained by the recruitment and retention of well-qualified individuals who derive a high level of professional fulfillment and satisfaction from their work. The purpose of this study was three-fold: to assess the level of job satisfaction experienced by directors of nursing staff development, to determine the sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction, and to explore relationships between personal and institutional factors and job satisfaction.;This study utilized a descriptive research design. The population of 231 directors of nursing staff development were drawn from Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAOH)--accredited, nongovernmental, not-for-profit teaching hospitals that were members of the Council of Teaching Hospitals (COTH) organization. The subjects were mailed a survey questionnaire packet. Two research instruments were used to elicit data from the study subjects. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire-Long Form (MSQ-LF) was used to measure job satisfaction and a researcher-designed Director Characteristics Information Questionnaire was used to gather data on the background of the respondents and demographic characteristics of the survey population and their institutions.;The results of the study indicated that directors of nursing staff development expressed a moderate to high degree of job satisfaction. In comparison to two other referent groups--administrators in adult education, and hospital educators--directors of nursing staff development reported a higher general satisfaction score. The ranking of the directors of nursing staff development scores for the twenty job factors noted that respondents were most satisfied with intrinsic variables including creativity, moral values, social service, ability utilization and responsibility. Respondents were least satisfied with extrinsic variables including supervisor-technical, company policies and procedures, compensation, security, and advancement. Personal variables--age, level of education, and length of time in the directorship position did not show any significant relationships to the job satisfaction of directors of nursing staff development. Institutional variables--institutional size, type of institution, scope of educational responsibility and organizational model also were examined and showed no significant relationships.;The role of director of nursing staff development in the health care setting is evolving and encompassing a broader range of functions and an increasing number of constituencies. This work represents a timely and significant inquiry into the work experience of a group of nursing educational administrators outside the traditional academic domain. The results of this study provide foundational knowledge and valuable insight into the attributes of individuals who assume the role of director of nursing staff development and the degree of satisfaction that is experienced from being in this position. Knowledge of the factors that contribute most to job satisfaction among directors of nursing staff development may facilitate work/environment approaches that enhance the future design and conduct of this position. |
