title: Q methodology: a new way of assessing employee satisfaction.
abstract: As yet another nursing shortage faces the country, the issue of the satisfaction of nurses again becomes of critical concern to nursing managers in the interest of staff retention. The authors describe the use of the statistical technique Q methodology to assess the needs of nurses and other medical staff at a level one, tertiary care emergency department in the United States. Using the Q method, the authors were able to identify different, unique viewpoints concerning employee needs among the study population, as well as commonly shared views. This level of detail, not obtainable using more traditional statistical techniques, can aid in the design of more effective strategies aimed at fulfilling the needs of an organization's staff to increase their satisfaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, West Virginia University Hospitals, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. achinnis@hsc.wvu.edu
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Chinnis
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doerr
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Paulson
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Davis
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008873:Mid-Atlantic Region; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015401:Nursing Administration Research / Q000379:methods; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D010563:Personnel Turnover; D011779:Q-Sort; D012201:Reward