Nurse job satisfaction and retention: comparing public to private hospitals in Jordan.

AIMS To identify variables of Jordanian nurses' job satisfaction and retention. Comparisons were performed between three public and two private hospitals. BACKGROUND There has been little research on nurse job satisfaction and retention in Jordan. Interest in nurse retention is renewed with each cycle of nursing shortage. METHODS A descriptive design using surveys guided this study through convenience sample of 438 nurses. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS Nurses reported that they were "moderately satisfied" in their jobs with "neutral" opinion about their retention. Nurses who work in private hospitals were more satisfied and intended to retain their jobs more than nurses in public hospitals. CONCLUSION Nurse job satisfaction and retention are related concepts; nurses who are satisfied in their jobs are likely to retain these jobs.