Predictors of Nursing Faculty's Job Satisfaction and Intent to Stay in Academe

Abstract

The retention of nursing faculty is a growing concern in the United States and a major challenge for nursing education administrators. This descriptive study used Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory of Job Satisfaction to explore the factors that predict nursing faculty's job satisfaction and intent to stay in academe. Institutional review board approval was obtained, and consent forms with self-administered questionnaires were posted on Survey Monkey. Participants included a convenience sample of nursing faculty teaching in baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in Florida during the months of May and June 2010. Participants (N = 134) were directed to an on-line site to retrieve and complete the following questionnaires: (a) Job Satisfaction Survey, (b) Nurse Educators' Intent to Stay in Academe Scale, and (c) a researcher-designed demographic questionnaire. Highly educated, experienced nursing faculty reported having more intent to stay (P < .05) in academe. Conversely, age, health-related conditions, and family responsibilities were not significantly related to intent to stay. A significant relationship was found between the motivation-hygiene factor score and the intent to stay score, F(4, 94) = 13.196, P < .00. The significant relationship between the motivational factors (job satisfiers) and the hygiene factors (job dissatisfiers) and intent to stay indicated that the nursing faculty overall were satisfied with their jobs. The mean job satisfaction score was 105.20, with a standard deviation of 30.712. The results provide support that Herzberg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory is a strong predictor of nursing faculty's intent to stay in academe in Florida.