title: The working lives of nurse teachers in mainland China and the United Kingdom: a questionnaire survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nurse education has undergone considerable changes creating new opportunities and challenges for nurse teachers. Limited comparative research of the working lives of nurse teachers has been reported, thus similarities and differences that may exist are unidentified.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper reports a study of the working lives of nurse teachers in mainland China and the United Kingdom.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional questionnaire survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Census sample of nurse teachers working in four nursing schools in mainland China (n=3) and the United Kingdom (n=1). The overall response rate was 56.8% (China=61, 61.0%, UK=60, 53.1%).
  
  
  METHODS
  Completion of questionnaire specifically developed for the study but comprising six validated tools to collecting data on: job satisfaction, sense of coherence, role conflict and role ambiguity, work empowerment and professional identification. Data on self-reported roles and personal details were also collected. Data were collected between September 2008 and January 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both samples were satisfied with their jobs overall but reported low levels of satisfaction with promotion. Chinese nurse teachers working full-time reported the lowest level for sense of coherence and professional identification. Nurse teachers working full-time in the United Kingdom reported the highest role conflict score. Sense of coherence and work empowerment were significantly and positively correlated to job satisfaction. Role conflict and role ambiguity were negatively correlated (but not always significantly) to job satisfaction and its facets. For respondents in mainland China, professional identification was significantly and positively correlated with overall job satisfaction and its facets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strategies to improve job satisfaction with promotion opportunities for both samples are indicated. Respondents working full-time in both mainland China and the United Kingdom experienced greater challenges at work than their part-time colleagues.
authors.affiliation: Emergency Nursing, 2nd Military Medical University, School of Nursing, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: guili2000@qq.com.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gui
authors.affiliation: 2nd Military Medical University, School of Nursing, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: gushen@smmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Shen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, 57 Waterloo Road, London, UK. Electronic address: louise.barriball@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: K Louise
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Barriball
authors.affiliation: King's College London, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, 57 Waterloo Road, London, UK; School of Nursing, 2nd Military Medical University, China. Electronic address: alison.while@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alison E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: While
authors.affiliation: 2nd Military Medical University, School of Health & Hygiene Services, 800 Xiang Yin Road, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: chenguoliang@smmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guoliang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: Job satisfaction; Nurse teachers; Professional identification; Role conflict and role ambiguity; Sense of coherence; Work empowerment