Personality traits and job satisfaction among nurses working in emergency and psychiatric departments
Date
2018-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Personality traits influence individuals to choose certain careers. Although much research has been done on the personality traits of nurses in general, very little research has been done on the personality traits of nurses within specific nursing fields, and none has been done in South Africa. Research demonstrates some evidence of personality trait differences between nurses employed in different fields, and that it may affect their levels of job satisfaction.
A quantitative correlational study was conducted to determine the correlation between the personality traits and levels of job satisfaction of nurses working in emergency and psychiatric departments in public and private hospitals in the Northern and Southern suburbs of Cape Town, South Africa.
The study included six emergency departments and three psychiatric departments in seven hospitals. All categories of nurses working in emergency departments (nE = 221) and psychiatric departments (nP = 120) were included in the sample. Forty nurses working in emergency departments (18.1%) and 41 nurses working in psychiatric departments (34.2%) responded to the study.
Two established questionnaires, the Swedish universities Scales of Personality and the Measure of Job Satisfaction were provided to respondents. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted on the results. Data had a nonparametric distribution, thus Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (ρ) was used to calculate correlations. The guideline for determining significance was 5% (p < 0.05).
The results of this study indicated that the majority of respondents working in emergency departments had low psychic trait anxiety, low stress susceptibility, low lack of assertiveness, low impulsiveness, high adventure-seeking and low detachment. Most of them reported being either neutral or satisfied with their jobs. Moderate to strong correlations were found between their psychic trait anxiety, stress susceptibility and their job satisfaction.
The majority of respondents working in psychiatric departments who participated in this study had low stress susceptibility, low lack of assertiveness, low impulsiveness, and high adventure-seeking. Most of them reported being either neutral or satisfied with their jobs. No correlations were found between their personality traits and job satisfaction.
The results may indicate that nurses with specific personality traits are more suited to specific nursing fields. Nurses could be assessed for these traits during the job interview process, and guided to the nursing fields most suited to their personalities.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Persoonlikheidseienskappe beïnvloed individue om sekere beroepe te kies. Alhoewel baie navorsing gedoen is oor die persoonlikheidseienskappe van verpleegkundiges in die algemeen, is daar baie min navorsing, en geen in Suid-Afrika gedoen oor die persoonlikheidseienskappe van verpleegkundiges binne spesifieke verpleegspesialiteite nie. Navorsing toon bewyse van verskille tussen persoonlikheidseienskappe by verpleegkundiges werksaam in verskillende spesialiteite, en dat dit hulle werkbevrediging mag beïnvloed. 'n Kwantitatiewe korrelasiestudie was uitgevoer om die verhouding tussen die persoonlikheidseienskappe en die vlakke van werkbevrediging van verpleegkundiges werksaam in nood- en psigiatriese afdelings van openbare en privaat hospitale in die Noordelike en Suidelike voorstede van Kaapstad, Suid-Afrika, te bepaal. Die studie het ses noodafdelings en vier psigiatriese afdelings in sewe hospitale ingesluit. Die studie se steekproef het alle vlakke van verpleegkundiges werksaam in noodafdelings (nE = 221) en psigiatriese afdelings (nP = 120) ingesluit. Veertig verpleegkundiges werksaam in noodafdelings (18.1%) en 41 verpleegkundiges werksaam in psigiatriese afdelings (34.2%) het aan die studie deelgeneem. Twee gevestigde vraelyste, die Swedish universities Scales of Personality en die Measure of Job Satisfaction was aan deelnemers verskaf. Beskrywende en inferensiële statistiese analises was op die resultate uitgevoer. Data het 'n nie-parametriese verspreiding gehad, en Spearman se rangkorrelasiekoëffisiënt (ρ) was gebruik om ooreenkomste te bereken. Die maatstaf om beduidendheid te toon was 5% (p < 0.05). Resultate van die studie het getoon dat die meeste deelnemers werksaam in noodafdelings, lae psigiese eienskap angs (psychic trait anxiety), lae stresvatbaarheid (stress susceptibility), lae gebrek aan selfgeldendheid (lack of assertiveness), lae impulsiwiteit (impulsiveness), hoë avontuurlustigheid (adventure-seeking) en lae onaangeraaktheid (detachment) gehad het. Meeste van hulle was óf neutraal óf tevrede met hul werk. Matige na sterk ooreenkomste was gevind tussen hul psigiese eienskap angs, stresvatbaarheid en hul werktevredenheid. Die meeste deelnemers werksaam in psigiatriese afdelings het lae stresvatbaarheid, lae gebrek aan selfgeldendheid, lae impulsiwiteit en hoë avontuurlustigheid gehad. Meeste van hulle was óf neutraal óf tevrede met hul werk. Geen ooreenkomste was gevind tussen hul persoonlikheidseienskappe en hul werktevredenheid nie. Die resultate mag aandui dat verpleegkundiges met sekere persoonlikheidseienskappe meer aangelê is vir sekere verpleegspesialiteite. Verpleegkundiges se persoonlikheidseienskappe kan gedurende die onderhoudproses bepaal word, en verpleegkundiges na die mees gepaste spesialiteite gelei word.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Persoonlikheidseienskappe beïnvloed individue om sekere beroepe te kies. Alhoewel baie navorsing gedoen is oor die persoonlikheidseienskappe van verpleegkundiges in die algemeen, is daar baie min navorsing, en geen in Suid-Afrika gedoen oor die persoonlikheidseienskappe van verpleegkundiges binne spesifieke verpleegspesialiteite nie. Navorsing toon bewyse van verskille tussen persoonlikheidseienskappe by verpleegkundiges werksaam in verskillende spesialiteite, en dat dit hulle werkbevrediging mag beïnvloed. 'n Kwantitatiewe korrelasiestudie was uitgevoer om die verhouding tussen die persoonlikheidseienskappe en die vlakke van werkbevrediging van verpleegkundiges werksaam in nood- en psigiatriese afdelings van openbare en privaat hospitale in die Noordelike en Suidelike voorstede van Kaapstad, Suid-Afrika, te bepaal. Die studie het ses noodafdelings en vier psigiatriese afdelings in sewe hospitale ingesluit. Die studie se steekproef het alle vlakke van verpleegkundiges werksaam in noodafdelings (nE = 221) en psigiatriese afdelings (nP = 120) ingesluit. Veertig verpleegkundiges werksaam in noodafdelings (18.1%) en 41 verpleegkundiges werksaam in psigiatriese afdelings (34.2%) het aan die studie deelgeneem. Twee gevestigde vraelyste, die Swedish universities Scales of Personality en die Measure of Job Satisfaction was aan deelnemers verskaf. Beskrywende en inferensiële statistiese analises was op die resultate uitgevoer. Data het 'n nie-parametriese verspreiding gehad, en Spearman se rangkorrelasiekoëffisiënt (ρ) was gebruik om ooreenkomste te bereken. Die maatstaf om beduidendheid te toon was 5% (p < 0.05). Resultate van die studie het getoon dat die meeste deelnemers werksaam in noodafdelings, lae psigiese eienskap angs (psychic trait anxiety), lae stresvatbaarheid (stress susceptibility), lae gebrek aan selfgeldendheid (lack of assertiveness), lae impulsiwiteit (impulsiveness), hoë avontuurlustigheid (adventure-seeking) en lae onaangeraaktheid (detachment) gehad het. Meeste van hulle was óf neutraal óf tevrede met hul werk. Matige na sterk ooreenkomste was gevind tussen hul psigiese eienskap angs, stresvatbaarheid en hul werktevredenheid. Die meeste deelnemers werksaam in psigiatriese afdelings het lae stresvatbaarheid, lae gebrek aan selfgeldendheid, lae impulsiwiteit en hoë avontuurlustigheid gehad. Meeste van hulle was óf neutraal óf tevrede met hul werk. Geen ooreenkomste was gevind tussen hul persoonlikheidseienskappe en hul werktevredenheid nie. Die resultate mag aandui dat verpleegkundiges met sekere persoonlikheidseienskappe meer aangelê is vir sekere verpleegspesialiteite. Verpleegkundiges se persoonlikheidseienskappe kan gedurende die onderhoudproses bepaal word, en verpleegkundiges na die mees gepaste spesialiteite gelei word.
Description
Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.
Keywords
Psychiatric nurses -- Job satisfaction, Emergency medical personnel -- Job satisfaction, Personality, UCTD