The Relationship between Nursing Job Satisfaction and Missed Nursing Care in Critical Care Units

Abstract

Background: Missed nursing care is a common occurrence that has a negative impact on the standard of patient care. Missed care is indicative of nurses' affected work satisfaction in times of workflow. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of missed nursing care (MNC), and the reasons for its occurrence among Jordanian nurses. The study sought to assess the level of job satisfaction and missed nursing care among Jordanian nurses and their association with demographic variables. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used in this study. A convenience sample of 181 registered nurses working in different critical care units in one teaching hospital and two government hospitals was recruited. Three tools were used to collect the data: a sociodemographic data form, a survey of missed nursing care (MISSCARE Survey) consisting of two parts (part A was designed to measure missed nursing care (MNC), and part B addressed the reasons for MNC), and the nursing-workplace satisfaction questionnaire (NWSQ). Results: The results of the study revealed Jordanian nurses in critical care units to have a moderate level of job satisfaction (45.50±9.09). In addition, the total mean score of the MNC was found to be 2.18±0.40 out of 5, which is a low level of missed nursing care. The most commonly occurring missed nursing care aspects were turning patients every 2 hours (2.53 ±1.43), mouth care (2.37 ±1.36), and teaching patients about illness, tests, and diagnostic studies (2.36 ±1.47). Moreover, among the reasons for missed nursing care with respect to teamwork, the caregiver being off the unit or unavailable was the most significant one (24.3%, n=44); with respect to the material resources, the unavailability of medications, when needed, was the most significant factor (21.5%, n=39) for missed nursing care, and regarding the labor resources, an unexpected rise in patient volume and acuity on the unit was the most significant factor influencing missed nursing care (23.8%, n=43). Finally, a statistically significant weak negative correlation was found between nurses’ job satisfaction and missed nursing care score (R=-0.177, P=0.012). Conclusion: The study concluded that nurses in critical units have a low level of missed nursing care and a moderate level of job satisfaction.