The relationships between nurses’ work environments and emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, and intent to leave among nurses in Saudi Arabia

• Published in: Journal of advanced nursing 2020-11, Vol.76 (11), p.3026-3038
• Main Authors: Alharbi, Amal A., Dahinten, V. Susan, MacPhee, Maura
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adequacy; burnout; Components; emotional exhaustion; Fatigue; intention to leave; Job satisfaction; Leadership; Nurse led services; Nurse patient relationships; Nurses; nurses’ work environments; Nursing; Participation; Physician nurse relationships; Professional practice; Quality of care; Recruitment; retention; Saudi Arabia; Shortages; Staffing; Work environment; Workforce planning
• ISSN: 0309-2402; 1365-2648
• DOI: 10.1111/jan.14512

Aims To examine relationships between components of nurses’ work environments and emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction and intent to leave among nurses in Saudi Arabia. Design A descriptive correlational study with cross‐sectional data. Methods Data were collected in 2017 from 497 Registered Nurses working in a large tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants completed an online survey like that used in RN4Cast studies to measure nurses’ perceptions of their work environments and nurse outcomes. Hierarchical linear regression and logistic regression were conducted to examine the relationships between components of nurses’ work environments and nurse outcomes after controlling for nurse and patient characteristics. Results Nurse participation in hospital affairs was uniquely associated with all three nurse outcomes, whereas staffing and resource adequacy was associated with emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction, but not intent to leave. These two variables were also the components of the nursing practice environment that received the lowest ratings. Nurse manager ability, leadership and support of nurses, and nurse–physician relationships were associated with job satisfaction only. A nursing foundation for quality of care was not uniquely associated with any of the three outcomes. Finally, nurse emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction fully mediated the relationship between nurse participation in hospital affairs and intent to leave. Conclusion Magnet‐like work environments in Saudi Arabia are critical to recruiting and retaining nurses in a country with critical nursing shortages. Impact This study addresses a gap in the literature regarding which components of the nurses’ work environment are uniquely associated with emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction and intent to leave among nurses in Saudi Arabia. Study results will assist Saudi hospital administrators and nurse leaders to develop recruitment and retention strategies by focusing on those work environment components most associated with nurse outcomes: participation in hospital affairs and staffing and resource adequacy. 摘要 目标 探讨沙特阿拉伯的护士工作环境与情绪衰竭、工作满意度、离职意愿各要素之间的关系。 设计 依托横断面数据的描述性相关研究。 方法 2017年从497名在沙特阿拉伯利雅得一家大型三级医院工作的注册护士那里收集数据。受访者完成了一份RN4Cast研究中采用的类似在线调查,以衡量护士对其工作环境和护理结果的看法。采用分层线性回归和逻辑回归分析方法,在控制了护士和患者特征后,研究护士工作环境各因素与护理结果之间的关系。 结果 护士参与医院事务与所有三种护理结果都有独特的相关性,而人员配置和人力充足与情绪衰竭和工作满意度相关,但与离职意愿无关。这两个变量也是护理实践环境中得分最低的组成要素。护士管理能力、护士领导力与支持力、医护关系只与工作满意度相关。护理质量的护理基础并未是与三个结果都相关的唯一要素。最后,护士情绪衰竭