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Home and expatriate nurses’ perceptions of job satisfaction: qualitative findings

Home and expatriate nurses’ perceptions of job satisfaction: qualitative findings
Home and expatriate nurses’ perceptions of job satisfaction: qualitative findings

Aim: This paper is part of a larger doctoral study that investigated the impact of nationality on the job satisfaction of nurses and their intentions to leave Saudi Arabian government hospitals. The paper aims to gain an understanding of the impact of expatriate status on nurses’ perceptions, by comparing the factors that influence job satisfaction among Saudi nurses to those that affect nurses recruited from other countries. Background: Job satisfaction is a known predictor of nurse retention. Although there is a broad understanding of the factors that affect job satisfaction, little is known about how these vary between home and expatriate nurses working in countries which rely on a multicultural migrant workforce. Methods: A descriptive qualitative approach was taken, in which 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses selected from different nationalities, all of whom were working in Saudi Arabian hospitals. Eight participants were Saudi Arabian, six Filipino, four Indian, four South African, two Jordanian and two Malaysian. Findings: Five themes were identified that differentiated the perceptions of expatriates regarding their job satisfaction from those of the home nurses: separation from family, language and communication, fairness of remuneration, moving into the future and professionalism. Conclusion: Focusing on the enhancement of job satisfaction experienced by expatriate nurses can result in a healthier work environment and greater retention of these nurses. Implications for nursing and nursing policy: To enhance nurse retention, policy makers in countries with migrant nurses should address their socio-economic needs. This includes providing both greater access to their dependent family members, and language lessons and cultural orientation to reduce linguistic and cultural challenges.

health service management, job satisfaction, migrant nurses, multi-cultural issues, nursing leadership, recruitment and retention
0020-8132
Almansour, H
3f3ff703-2188-493b-a930-eb510a1a6c85
Gobbi, Mary
829a5669-2d52-44ef-be96-bc57bf20bea0
Prichard, Jane
64ba5e39-0b0f-4529-877f-aa6ecc7e7e2e
Almansour, H
3f3ff703-2188-493b-a930-eb510a1a6c85
Gobbi, Mary
829a5669-2d52-44ef-be96-bc57bf20bea0
Prichard, Jane
64ba5e39-0b0f-4529-877f-aa6ecc7e7e2e

Almansour, H, Gobbi, Mary and Prichard, Jane (2021) Home and expatriate nurses’ perceptions of job satisfaction: qualitative findings. International Nursing Review. (doi:10.1111/inr.12699).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Aim: This paper is part of a larger doctoral study that investigated the impact of nationality on the job satisfaction of nurses and their intentions to leave Saudi Arabian government hospitals. The paper aims to gain an understanding of the impact of expatriate status on nurses’ perceptions, by comparing the factors that influence job satisfaction among Saudi nurses to those that affect nurses recruited from other countries. Background: Job satisfaction is a known predictor of nurse retention. Although there is a broad understanding of the factors that affect job satisfaction, little is known about how these vary between home and expatriate nurses working in countries which rely on a multicultural migrant workforce. Methods: A descriptive qualitative approach was taken, in which 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses selected from different nationalities, all of whom were working in Saudi Arabian hospitals. Eight participants were Saudi Arabian, six Filipino, four Indian, four South African, two Jordanian and two Malaysian. Findings: Five themes were identified that differentiated the perceptions of expatriates regarding their job satisfaction from those of the home nurses: separation from family, language and communication, fairness of remuneration, moving into the future and professionalism. Conclusion: Focusing on the enhancement of job satisfaction experienced by expatriate nurses can result in a healthier work environment and greater retention of these nurses. Implications for nursing and nursing policy: To enhance nurse retention, policy makers in countries with migrant nurses should address their socio-economic needs. This includes providing both greater access to their dependent family members, and language lessons and cultural orientation to reduce linguistic and cultural challenges.

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Home and expatriate nurses' perceptions of job satisfaction.
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 11 May 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 27 May 2021
Additional Information: Funding Information: Funding for this research is from the University of Ha'il, Saudi Arabia. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 International Council of Nurses
Keywords: health service management, job satisfaction, migrant nurses, multi-cultural issues, nursing leadership, recruitment and retention

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 449690
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/449690
ISSN: 0020-8132
PURE UUID: 2c6804f1-ca0e-4748-aca5-12c23391a901
ORCID for Jane Prichard: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7455-2244

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Date deposited: 11 Jun 2021 16:30
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 04:17

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Contributors

Author: H Almansour
Author: Mary Gobbi
Author: Jane Prichard ORCID iD

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