This paper describes the development of the Kuopio University Hospital Job Satisfaction Scale (KUHJSS) and the results of the survey. The scale was developed through a systematic literature review, and its validity and reliability were assessed using several psychometric properties including expert evaluation ( ), a pilot survey ( ), and exploratory factor analysis. The final version of KUHJSS included 37 items. A large sample psychometric evaluation was made by nursing staff ( ). The exploratory factor analysis revealed seven factors with modest internal consistency (0.64–0.92). The staff reported relatively high job satisfaction. The greatest satisfaction was derived from motivating factors associated with the work; the least, from the job's demands. Respondents who considered their working units to provide an excellent quality of care reported the highest job satisfaction in every subarea ( ). The KUHJSS proved to be a reliable and valid tool for measuring job satisfaction in hospital care. 1. Introduction Job satisfaction has been described as the extent to which employees like their jobs [1–3]. It can be further defined in relation to employees’ expectations of their work. Unless these expectations are fulfilled, employees may be dissatisfied with their jobs [4]. Job satisfaction is described in terms of psychological concepts, including attitudes towards work, work ethic, professional development, the development of work, and even, to some extent, perceptions of the meaning of life [5, 6]. Job satisfaction is an emotional state that is attained on achieving the results at which the individual is aiming [7]. Working conditions also have an effect on employees’ well-being [3, 8–10]. One element of job satisfaction is the positive experience of being a part of a well-functioning work group [4, 9, 11–13]. Job satisfaction encompasses a range of elements affected both by factors internal to the work place and employees’ attitudes and behavior, as the concept of job satisfaction is shaped by each staff member’s personal perspective [14]. Recruiting new staff while maintaining a strong commitment to the organization among current staff is a significant challenge for the health care sector. In the future, it will be necessary to prioritize job satisfaction in health care if hospitals are to ensure adequate staffing by maintaining high levels of commitment amongst existing employees while recruiting new staff [6, 8, 15–19]. Several studies have shown a significant positive correlation between the job satisfaction of nursing staff and their commitment to
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