Nurses’ Practice Environment and their Job Satisfaction: A Study on Nurses Caring for Older Adults in Shanghai

Abstract

Aim

To examine the job satisfaction of nurses who are caring for older adults in healthcare set

tings in Shanghai, and to explore the underlying factors in order to explain and predict

nurses’ job satisfaction.

Background

China has the largest elderly population in the world, and its population is aging rapidly.

Studies on job satisfaction of nurses providing care for the elderly in China can help to iden

tify problem areas and develop strategies for the improvement of nurses’ working condi

tions. However, to date, this subject matter has not been thoroughly studied in the Chinese

context. Previous studies in other countries show that many factors impact nurses’ job satis

faction, with the practice environment being a critical factor. There is a serious nursing

shortage in China, especially in the big cities such as Shanghai. Given the increasing care

demand of the aging population, learning about the job satisfaction level among nurses who

are caring for older adults can provide essential information to help attract and retain nurses

in this specialty area.