title: Hospital nurses' work motivation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The knowledge surrounding nurses' work motivation is currently insufficient, and previous studies have rarely taken into account the role of many influential background factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the motivation of Estonian nurses in hospitals, and how individual and organisational background factors influence their motivation to work.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is quantitative and cross-sectional. An electronically self-reported questionnaire was used for data collection. The sample comprised of 201 Registered Nurses working in various hospital settings in Estonia. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) test, Kruskal-Wallis equality-of-populations rank test and Spearman's correlation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations were noted among hospital nurses. Nurses were moderately externally motivated (M = 3.63, SD = 0.89) and intrinsically strongly motivated (M = 4.98, SD = 1.03). A nurses' age and the duration of service were positively correlated with one particular area of extrinsic work motivation, namely introjected regulation (p < 0.001). Nurses who had professional training over 7 days per year had both a higher extrinsic motivation (p = 0.016) and intrinsic work motivation (p = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings expand current knowledge of nurses' work motivation by describing the amount and orientation of work motivation among hospital nurses and highlighting background factors which should be taken into account in order to sustain and increase their intrinsic work motivation. The instrument used in the study can be an effective tool for nurse managers to determine a nurse's reasons to work and to choose a proper motivational strategy. Further research and testing of the instrument in different countries and in different contexts of nursing is however required.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.|Oncology and Haematology Clinic, North Estonia Medical Centre, Tallinn, Estonia.
authors.forename: Kristi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toode
authors.affiliation: University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Pirkko
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Routasalo
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.|Science Centre, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Helminen
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suominen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: electronic survey; hospital nurse; self-determination theory; work motivation