Internal Medicine: Open Access
Open Access

Abstract

Comparative Study of Nurse Managers Job Dissatisfaction in Public Hospitals and Health Clinics in Malaysia

Rizal AM, Chiew W and Roslan Johari

Background: Nurse Managers in public hospitals and health clinics in Malaysia have added responsibilities as an administrative role and this work load place further pressure and affect the nurse managers’ job dissatisfaction. Incentives and concerted efforts have brought about better working environment for the nurse managers. The objective is to assess the improvement of the situation of job dissatisfaction among the nurse managers; exemplify the causes of job stress, and identify the skills required for the future training of nurses.

Method: In 2002 questionnaires were mailed out to 998 nurse managers working in public sector which is then compared to 2014 extrapolated data sampling of 262 nurse manager respondents from Penang. Nurse Managers were asked to give their perceived job dissatisfaction working as a nurse manager in terms of factors and level of stress encountered. Data were then analysed between these two groups of respondents to determine if situation has improved and to identify the contributing factors of stress and problems encountered.

Results: Though only 7.7% of the nurse managers in 2002 were job dissatisfied, 64.4% of them reported being overworked and 19.7% of them had frequent job stressed. The predictors for dissatisfaction among public sector nurse managers were stress, overworked and having a poor interpersonal relation with supervisors. Findings of 2014 however an increased level of job dissatisfaction to 14.1%; 61.1% complained of overworked and 7.3% subjected to frequent stress. Overworked and work stress were factors associated with job dissatisfaction among public healthcare nurse managers. The respondents in both the survey felt that too many responsibilities and the lack of managerial skills are the contributors to job dissatisfaction.

Conclusion: Reforms in nursing practice and mitigation of work stress are needed. Comprehensive formal management training for nurse managers is needed to better prepare nurses to the demands of their job.