Measuring job satisfaction in residential aged care

Abstract

Background.Staff satisfaction has received increasing recognition as an important factor influencing service quality and in particular the quality of residents’ lives in residential aged care facilities, where staff typically have a long-term and close relationship with residents. Consequently, a valid and reliable instrument is required to assess staff satisfaction in this particular context. Objective.This paper aims to assess the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the Measure of Job Satisfaction (MJS) instrument when used in residential aged care facilities. Design.A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the required information, and a stratified random sampling method was utilized to select facilities. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to assess the factor structure of staff satisfaction via the MJS. Setting.Both high and low care residential aged care facilities in Western Australia. Study participants.Nine hundred and eighty-three staff (including the Director of Nursing, manager, registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nursing assistants, and therapists) in 70 residential aged care facilities. Results.An acceptable five-factor (22-item) measurement model was derived. The Cronbach’s α reliability levels range from 0.86 to 0.95. Convergent and discriminant validity are also satisfactory. Conclusion.This investigation has confirmed that a modified MJS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing staff satisfaction in residential aged care settings.