title: Attention to nurses' rewarding - an interview study of registered nurses working in primary and private healthcare in Finland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify meaningful types of rewards and the consequences of rewards as expressed by Finnish registered nurses working in primary and private healthcare.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have found significant associations between nurses' rewards and both their commitment and job satisfaction. Furthermore, appropriate rewards can have beneficial effects on factors including workforce stability and occupational satisfaction that are highly important in times of nurse shortages.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, qualitative interview study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected via individual semi-structured interviews (n = 20) with registered nurses working in Finland's primary and private healthcare, and subjected to qualitative content analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six meaningful types of rewards were identified by the registered nurses: Financial compensation and benefits, Work-Life balance, Work content, Professional development, Recognition, and Supportive leadership. Rewards encouraged respondents to perform their work correctly and reinforced occupational satisfaction, but also caused feelings of envy and stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is essential to pay attention to nurses' preferences for particular rewards and to reward management. When designing effective reward systems for registered nurses, it is not sufficient to provide financial rewards alone, as various kinds of non-financial rewards are both meaningful and necessary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When trying to improve registered nurses' commitment and job satisfaction through reward management, it is important to listen to nurses' opinions to create a reward system that integrates financial and non-financial rewards and is fair from their perspective. Healthcare organisations that offer registered nurses a holistic reward system are more likely to retain satisfied and committed nurses at a time of increasing nursing shortages.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Jaana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seitovirta
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.|Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Katri
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vehviläinen-Julkunen
authors.affiliation: Aalto University, School of Business, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Lasse
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mitronen
authors.affiliation: Research Department of Work & Organisational Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Gieter
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing Science, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tarja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kvist
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004649:Employee Incentive Plans; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012201:Reward
keywords: Registered nurses; financial rewards; non-financial rewards; nurses’ turnover; nursing shortage; qualitative study; reward satisfaction; total rewards