Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Joseph Barbeau

Abstract

Employee satisfaction and engagement have a direct impact on customer satisfaction. Dissatisfaction and disengagement lead to an increased intent to leave a job, poor patient outcomes, and decreased productivity. The retention and recruitment of qualified staff becomes an urgent priority to ensure safe and prudent patient care. The purpose of the qualitative research study was to better understand the beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and reasons for emergency department registered nurses (ED RN) satisfaction and engagement in the workplace focusing on Herzberg's, Vroom's, Yetton's, Maslow's, Benner's, and Kahn's motivation and engagement theoretical frameworks. The qualitative case research study focused on satisfaction and engagement elements using structured interviews of 21 ED nurses from three hospitals of varying sizes and capabilities and included three generational cohorts of Baby Boomer, Generation X, and Millennial RN. Interview analysis showed distinct similarities and differences in nurse satisfaction and work engagement with a consistency in job engagement with no distinct differences among generations. Distinct findings included persistent lack of staff resources, poor communication from leaders, and compassion fatigue among staff. Findings reflected strong interpersonal relationships, teamwork, autonomy, and a strong sense of accomplishment among nurses. Findings indicate that satisfied nurses have improved outcomes, produce happier customers, and feel a sense of accomplishment in the job performed. The positive social impact of this study is in providing guidance on retaining ED RN to provide adequate staffing levels for safe, quality healthcare.

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