Job satisfaction of psychiatric hospital employees: a new measure of an old concern

The authors report on the factor structure of an employee satisfaction questionnaire designed for use with psychiatric hospital employees. The actions and attitudes of management were, by far, the single most prominent factor. This factor captures the extent to which management respects workers, operates with honesty and integrity, promotes efficiency, and has open lines of communication with employees. By surveying employees about the 15 items of this factor, psychiatric hospital managers can obtain a sense of their employees' overall satisfaction. Hospitals must hire and train managers who can convey the qualities represented in this satisfaction factor. It is also important for hospital managers to recognize that employee satisfaction is strongly related to how employee complaints are handled, how employees perceive the quality of patient care, and the extent to which employees believe the hospital serves the greater community.