Hospital sisters: work attitudes, perceptions and wastage.
This study attempts to describe the attitudes and perceptions that hospital sisters have towards their work and the relationship, if any, of these attitudes and perceptions to absence, leaving intent and wastage. The theoretical approach adopted was based on the Minnesota Theory of Work Adjustment and the role stress theory originally developed at the University of Michigan, and the measures used included rating scales developed in these centres. The results indicated that most of the sisters were, in general, satisfied with their jobs, although a substantial minority were dissatisfied with and experienced role conflict and ambiguity from certain features of their working environment. Comparison of the leavers with the stayers revealed no difference between the groups on intrinsic satisfaction, absence and role ambiguity, but the leavers were less satisfied with extrinsic features of the job, and experienced more tension and role conflict than the stayers. The fairly strong 'mobility culture' reported by other research was supported and it was tentatively concluded that after a year or two, the job fails to provide the sister with sufficient challenge, and her propensity is to leave for more stimulating work. The implications of this conclusion are discussed.
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004739:England; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010557:Personnel Administration, Hospital; D012938:Social Perception; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014852:Wales