Effect of Job Satisfaction on Turnover among Nursing Employees at National Referral Hospitals in Kenya

Abstract

Turnover of nursing employees is a major problem worldwide that adversely affects the quality of products and services offered to customers. In Kenya, National Referral Hospitals have been witnessing high nurse turnovers resulting in nurse shortages that have adversely affected the quality of products and services offered to customers. The general objective of the study was to establish the effect of job satisfaction on turnover among nursing employees at national referral hospitals in Kenya. The specific objectives were to establish the effect of professional job autonomy, determine effect of work-life balance, establish effect of participation in work decision-making process, determine effect of compensation and establish effect of work recognition on turnover among nursing employees at national referral hospitals in Kenya. The study adopted mixed methods research design and used simple random sampling to select a sample of 315 respondents from the 1779 registered nurses working at the 12 national referral hospitals in Kenya. The unit of analysis was national referral hospitals in Kenya while the unit of observation was registered nurse managers or their equivalent in charge of wards or units at national referral hospitals in Kenya. Positive responses were received as valid from 261 respondents out of the sampled 315 respondents. The analyzed data was presented using tables, charts and graphs. The questionnaire was pilot tested on respondents drawn from national referral hospitals who were not included in the final research. The study generated both qualitative and quantitative data which was collected using Likert scales and was later analyzed descriptively using measures of central tendency and inferentially using correlation tests and multiple regression models. Correlation analysis was used to test the direction of relationship between independent and dependent variables. Multiple regression model was used to test whether professional job autonomy, work life balance, participation in work decision making process, compensation and work recognition being job satisfaction facets/dimensions, had any effect on turnover among nursing employees at national referral hospitals in Kenya. The study found out that there is an inverse relationship between job satisfaction and nursing employees’ turnover and that participation in work decision-making process and compensation contribute negatively but significantly to nursing employees’ turnover at these hospitals. The study therefore concluded that it is imperative for the employer of the nursing employees at these hospitals to put in place job satisfaction and specifically put more emphasis on participation in work decision-making process and compensation in order to help curtail and/or manage the turnover of the nursing employees at these hospitals more effectively. This will prevent nursing employees’s turnover at these hospitals and hence help improve on the quality of services the nursing employees at these hospitals provide to customers. By so doing, the national referral hospitals will make a positive contribution towards the country achieving the healthcare goal which is the provision of quality healthcare for all.