title: Nurse practitioners' role perception, stress, satisfaction, and intent to stay at a Midwestern academic medical center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a growing demand for nurse practitioners (NPs) within academic medical centers (AMCs) because of physician shortages and increased need for access to care. In order to retain these NPs, it is important to assess their role perception and satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate these concepts and their relationships to stress and intent to stay.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 90-item descriptive survey, including a new role perception scale and the Misener Nurse Practitioner Job Satisfaction Scale, was administered to all NPs at a Midwestern AMC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The response rate was 62.4% (n = 181). Overall, the NPs had moderate role perception (M = 4.30, SD = 1.23) and were somewhat satisfied (M = 4.23, SD = 0.74). Over a third (39.4%) reported they were unsure about staying or did not intend to stay in their position. Intent to stay and stress were moderately correlated with overall satisfaction and weakly correlated with role perception. There were significant differences in the intrapractice and professional aspects of job satisfaction based on their supervisor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With increased NP needs, it is crucial for AMCs and NP supervisors to assess role perception, satisfaction, and stress among NPs in order to ensure a stable, satisfied, and productive workforce.
authors.affiliation: The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Heather M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Brom
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.|College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Bernadette M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Melnyk
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Szalacha
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Graham
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers / Q000458:organization & administration; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009722:Nurse Practitioners / Q000523:psychology*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Nurse practitioner; role; satisfaction; stress; work environments; workforce