title: Determined persistence: achieving and sustaining job satisfaction among nurse practitioners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Job satisfaction of nurse practitioners (NPs) has been studied using quantitative methods. A grounded theory approach was used in this study to understand the contextual nature of the NPs' description of job satisfaction from a personal perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  A grounded theory approach as described by Glaser and Strauss was used in this study. The study took place in a rural northeastern state. The researcher conducted face-to-face interviews using open-ended questions with 15 participants. Constant comparative method was utilized to analyze data culminating in a basic social process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The participants described holistic care as the foundation of their work and their relationship with patients as determining factors of job satisfaction. When NPs felt as though patient care was compromised, they became dissatisfied. NPs were highly satisfied when providing holistic care and within an environment that respected their professional values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In order to maintain accessibility to high-quality health care, it is imperative to understand the factors that contribute to job satisfaction of NPs. As the healthcare system evolves, healthcare policymakers and healthcare organizations must develop strategies to ensure job satisfaction among NPs.
authors.affiliation: University of Maine, School of Nursing, Orono, Maine.
authors.forename: Mary L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Shea
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D066296:Grounded Theory; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000523:psychology*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Nurse practitioners; autonomy; holistic; professionalism; qualitative; role; satisfaction