Motivation and job satisfaction among hospital nurses in Bulgaria - a cross-sectional study

Introduction/Objective The competitive healthcare market is focused on quality health services and the search for effective methods to improve the quality of these services represents a continuing challenge for healthcare managers. It has been found that satisfaction with the work of nurses directly affects the quality of care and patient satisfaction. The aim of this study was to examine the factors influencing the motivation and job satisfaction of hospital nurses. Methods A cross-sectional study in private and public hospitals of Plovdiv region (second largest region in Bulgaria), established as training and teaching bases for nurses was conducted. The sample comprised of nurses employed in internal wards, surgical wards, intensive care units, and neurology ward settings. Results Most of the participants 55 (67.1%) are working in public hospitals and 27 (32.9%) in private ones. All of the respondents were women with a mean age of 50.57 +/- 11.6 years. Only 40.3% of nurses were satisfied with their job and employees in public hospitals were generally more dissatisfied, although both sectors have identified "payment" and"working conditions" as being an important source of dissatisfaction. Conclusion Motivation and job satisfaction studies play an important role in providing appropriate medical care in the healthcare sector. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of good job salary, good working conditions, and co-workers' support for job satisfaction.