Effects of job stress and coping behaviour on job satisfaction in Korean male nurses

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of job stress and coping behaviour on job satisfaction in Korean male nurses.

Methods: The structured questionnaires were used for the survey of 73 male nurses who worked in hospitals located in B and S City in South Korea. To measure job stress, we used a Korean job stress scale. To measure coping behaviour, we used an instrument developed by Han & Oh (1990), and for job satisfaction, an instrument developed by Kim (2010). The data were analysed using PASW 18.0 (Chicago, USA), including descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and ANOVAs.

Results: The results showed mean job stress score of 3.27, mean coping behaviour score of 3.14 and mean job satisfaction score of 3.28 (all scores on a 5-point scale). Job satisfaction was positively correlated with coping behaviour (r = 0.426, p < .001), but was not correlated with job stress. In addition, job satisfaction was higher among subjects with coping behaviour scores in the highest quartile than among those with coping behaviour scores in the lowest quartile (t = -2.881, p = .007).

Conclusion: Coping behaviour was found to be a relevant factor influencing the job satisfaction of male nurses. Thus, an environment and workplace culture that allows male nurses to develop and apply their coping ability must be cultivated in order to promote job satisfaction.