Modeling the Determinants to Regulated Nurses' and Allied Health Staff Members’ Job Satisfaction in Residential Long-Term Care Facilities

Abstract

Factors affecting job satisfaction among regulated nurses and allied health workers in long-term care (LTC) facilities remain poorly understood. A secondary analysis using data from the Translating Research in Elder Care program was done to model determinants of job satisfaction. Demographic, individual-level, and context-level variables were assessed. Separate GEE models were constructed for regulated workers (n = 756) and allied health workers (n = 334). Emotional exhaustion and cynicism predicted lower job satisfaction in regulated nurses and allied health workers, respectively. Psychological empowerment and adequate orientation predicted higher job satisfaction in both groups. Work engagement, culture, and organizational slack-space predicted higher job satisfaction in regulated nurses. Social capital, organizational slack-time, and formal interactions predicted higher job satisfaction in allied health workers. These findings provide empirical support for individual-level and context-level variables and identify the importance of adequate orientation in job satisfaction in this population.