Factors Influencing Psychiatric Nurses’ Job Satisfaction Levels: Focusing on Their Frequency of Experiencing Negative Emotions Toward Patients and Support at Their Workplaces

Background: We examined factors influencing psychiatric nurses’ job satisfaction levels focusing on their frequency of experiencing negative emotions toward patients and support at their workplaces. Methods: An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted involving 1,097 psychiatric nurses working at 13 psychiatric hospitals in the Chugoku area to investigate their basic attributes, work-related factors, and scores from 3 scales: the Negative Feeling toward Patient Frequency scale, an original support-in-workplace scale, and the new Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (job stress and satisfaction). Correlations between basic attributes/work-related factors and scores from each scale, and the relationships among the study items were analyzed. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis was performed using the job satisfaction level. Results: The subjects were the 577 psychiatric nurses who returned valid responses without missing data (response rate: 60.4%, valid responses: 87.0%). The subjects were the 577 psychiatric nurses who returned valid responses without missing data (response rate: 60.4%, valid responses: 87.0%). To clarify the level of influence on the job satisfaction level of each variable, logistic regression analysis was performed adopting the stepwise method for all of the items that were correlated with the job satisfaction level as a dependent variable. Support (from supervisors) at the workplace (OR: 1.069), job stress (OR: 0.751), Negative Feeling toward Patient Frequency-Total scale scores (OR: 0.980) were found to influence the job satisfaction level. Conclusion: Support from supervisors may be indispensable, and working environments that reduce job stress and negative emotions toward patients may be required to increase the job satisfaction levels of psychiatric nurses. This survey suggested that the establishment and maintenance of favorable working environments and interpersonal relationships increase job satisfaction levels while reducing stress, thereby improving job retention among psychiatric nurses.