Utilizing Motivation-Hygiene Theory to Improve Satisfaction of Registered Nurses in the Intensive Care Unit of a Critical Care Hospital

Abstract

Registered nursing is a profession of caring that affords its members with an opportunity to serve others. Registered nurses (RNs) perform many of the duties that allow hospitals to operate. Shortages in the field are jeopardizing the integrity of the US healthcare industry, and solutions to the shortage are critical to alleviate deteriorating clinical outcomes. Thus, we focused our capstone on utilizing Motivation-Hygiene Theory (MHT) to improve satisfaction of RNs in the intensive care unit (ICU) of a critical access hospital (CAH). Our findings indicate job stress and the feelings that result from job duties are central to RN dissatisfaction and retention in the ICU at the CAH; RN satisfaction is positively correlated with 3 specified MHT factors – the work itself and interpersonal relationships, the work itself and responsibility, and the work itself and advancement; and the satisfaction RNs have with how they are supervised is positively correlated with the interpersonal relationship RNs have with their respective supervisors.