Title: Factors related to the occupational commitment of nurses working in a university hospital in the kanto area of Japan
Abstract:
This study explored the relationship between occupational commitment of nurses and work motivation, intention to continue working as a nurse, and intention to change occupation, aiming to develop support arrangements to improve occupational commitment. An anonymous self- rated questionnaire survey was conducted with nurses working in the participant university hospital in the Kanto area of Japan. Nurses who were in management positions, working part-time, and those who worked shorter hours than full time staff were excluded. The survey items included personal factors, a Japanese version of the Occupational Commitment Scale, the Work Motivation Scale for Nurses, work environment factors, professional behavior, and stress factors.
Excluding the responses that had no answers to the questions of the Japanese version of the Occupational Commitment Scale and that included two or more choices to these questions, 447 (57.5%) valid responses (61 males, 386 females) were analyzed. The mean age, mean length of clinical experience (in years), mean total score of the occupational commitment were 28.52 ± 7.75, 6.41 ± 6.19, and 53.73 ± 6.67, respectively.
The result of a multiple regression analysis showed the following factors as related to the
occupational commitment: ‘Wishing to continue working as nurses as long as possible’ (β = 0.380?p
< .01), ‘Wishing to change the career path or workplace’ (β = -0.115, p < .05), ‘Having a good relationship with the own patients/family’ (β = 0.108, p < .05), and ‘Having someone to consult with among other professions’ (β = 0.094, p < .05). The adjusted R2 was 20%.
Nurses who are ‘Wishing to continue working as nurses as long as possible’ Having a good relationship with the own patients/family’, and Having someone to consult with among other professions would have high occupational commitment, while nurses ‘Wishing to change the career path or workplace’ would have a low occupational commitment.
Further studies were needed to develop support arrangements to improve occupational commitment of
nurses by obtaining more accurate knowledge of the factors influencing the explanatory and objective
variables.
Audience Take Away:
1.Work motivation was not associated with occupational commitment.
2.Nurses who are ‘Wishing to continue working as nurses as long as possible’, ‘Having a good
relationship with the own patients/family’, and ‘Having someone to consult with among other
professions’ would have high occupational commitment.
3.While nurses ‘Wishing to change the career path or workplace’ would have a low occupational
commitment.
