The Effect of Career Plateauing as a Mediating Factor on Nurses' Job Satisfaction and Promotability

AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of career plateau as a mediating factor on nurses' job satisfaction and promotability. BACKGROUND A nurse's career, as well as other professionals, may arrive at a point where further hierarchical development is limited. Nurses may remain longer than expected in the same position within an organization and may be plateaued, resulting in career dissatisfaction, job dissatisfaction, and turnover. METHODS This is a descriptive correlational study. Two hundred twenty-one nurses were recruited from 1 university hospital in Egypt. Respondents completed the self-administered, printed questionnaires. Measures included career plateau, job satisfaction, and promotability questionnaires. Findings were investigated via descriptive and inferential statistics as well as structured equation modeling to examine the mediating effect of career plateauing on job satisfaction and promotability. RESULTS The mean scores of job satisfaction, career plateauing, and promotability were 3.09 +/- 0.71, 3.75 +/- 0.43, and 3.70 +/- 0.53, respectively. Data revealed that nurses' career plateauing accounted for 34% and 18% of the variance of their job satisfaction and promotability, respectively. CONCLUSION Career plateauing is a significant determinant of nurses' job satisfaction and promotability.