Predictors of job satisfaction for rural acute care registered nurses in Canada

This study examines predictors of job satisfaction among rural acute care registered nurses. The data are from a cross-sectional national survey, which was part of a larger project, The Nature of Nursing Practice in Rural and Remote Canada. This analysis suggests that a combination of individual, workplace, and community characteristics are interrelated predictors of job satisfaction for rural acute care nurses. There were nine variables that accounted for 38% of the total variance in job satisfaction. Four variables alone (available and up-to-date equipment and supplies, satisfaction with scheduling and shifts, lower psychological job demands, and home community satisfaction) explained 33% of the variance. Recruitment and retention strategies in rural areas must acknowledge that rural nurses' work lives and community lives are inextricably intertwined. Attention to these issues will help ensure high-quality working environments and a continued commitment to quality nursing care in the rural hospital settings in Canada.