The Patterns of association between nurse job satisfaction factors and patient safety: a case study of AAR Health Care in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Patient safety is one of the key indicators of quality care in healthcare systems. Patient safety is subject to a diverse range of contributing factors, chief among them being job satisfaction among healthcare workers. Yet, the association between job satisfaction among nurses and patient safety remains understudied, especially in low- to middle-income countries. The study aimed to examine the patterns of association between job satisfaction factors among nurses and patient safety in Nairobi County. Nurses’ working conditions, job autonomy, and job clarity factors of job satisfaction constituted the independent variables, whereas patient safety constituted the dependent variable. Herzberg’s two-factor, self-determination, and job characteristics theories made for the theoretical framework for the study. The study followed a positivist research paradigm and adopted a correlational research design to accomplish the research objectives. The institutional focus was AAR Healthcare and AAR Hospital, where a target population of 125 registered nurses was surveyed. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data, and the data gathered was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques via Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Minitab software. The findings suggest that, overall, nurse job satisfaction factors correlate with patient safety. However, the degree of impact varies between the specific factors. For instance, the impact of working conditions (β = 0.720, t = 1.932, p<0.05) and autonomy (β = 0.524, t = 1.966, p<0.05) was positive and statistically significant, while that of role clarity (β = 0.216, t = 0.457, p>0.05) was positive but not statistically significant. The study arrived at the conclusion that improving working conditions for nurses, giving them more autonomy, and clarifying their roles leads to improved patient safety. The study, therefore, recommends that, for hospitals and other clinical facilities to achieve patient safety goals, they must improve working conditions for nurses, provide them with more freedom, and articulate their tasks and responsibilities more clearly.