Assessing the Impact of Nurse Job Satisfaction on Patient Care Quality: A Systematic Review
Abstract
Background: We aimed to examine the association between nurse work satisfaction and patient care quality. The goal was to find out key factors influencing nurse’s job satisfaction and how these qualities relate to patient care outcomes by synthesizing prior data.
Methods: A literature search was conducted using four databases: PubMed, CINAHL and Embase, published from 2014 and 2023. The inclusion criteria were the impact of nurse job satisfaction on several elements of patient care quality, including safety, effectiveness, patient satisfaction, and overall health outcomes. The research quality was evaluated by established critical evaluation procedures and data were collected and synthesized utilizing standard analysis methodologies.
Results: Eighteen studies satisfied the inclusion criteria, indicating a strong positive relationship between nurse work satisfaction and patient care quality. Organizational support, work environment, professional growth opportunities, and workload management were important factors in determining job satisfaction. Nurse’s high job satisfaction levels were consistently linked to increased patient safety, greater patient satisfaction scores, fewer medical mistakes and better overall patient health outcomes.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate the importance of nurse work satisfaction in improving patient care quality. Healthcare organizations should prioritize tactics that increase worker satisfaction, such as creating supportive work environments, giving opportunities for professional development, and guaranteeing acceptable workloads. By addressing these issues, healthcare systems can enhance patient outcomes and overall healthcare quality.
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2. Rathert C, Wyrwich MD, Boren SA (2013). Patient-centered care and outcomes: A sys-tematic review of the literature. Med Care Res Rev, 70(4): 351-379.
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4. Aiken LH, Sloane DM, Ball J, et al (2018). Patient satisfaction with hospital care and nurses in England: an observational study. BMJ Open, 8(1): e019189.
5. Stalpers D, Van Der Linden D, Kaljouw MJ, et al (2017). Nurse-perceived quality of care in intensive care units and associa-tions with work environment characteris-tics: A multicentre survey study. J Adv Nurs, 73(6): 1482-1490.
6. Leggat SG, Bartram T, Casimir G, et al (2010). Nurse perceptions of the quality of patient care: Confirming the importance of empowerment and job satisfaction. Health Care Manage Rev, 35(4): 355-364.
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9. Kremer L, Lipprandt M, Röhrig R, et al (2021). Examining the mental workload as-sociated with digital health technologies in health care: Protocol for a systematic re-view focusing on assessment methods. JMIR Res Protoc, 10(8): e29126.
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11. McHugh MD, Kutney-Lee A, Cimiotti JP, et al (2011). Nurses' widespread job dissatis-faction, burnout, and frustration with health benefits signal problems for patient care. Health Aff (Millwood), 30(2): 202-10.
12. Cho E, Lee KH, Kang B, et al (2023). Per-ceived work environment, educational sta-tus, staffing levels, and work outcomes in long-term care settings during COVID-19. J Am Med Dir Assoc, 24(10): 1600-1605.
13. Coomber B, Barriball KL (2007). Impact of job satisfaction components on intent to leave and turnover for hospital-based nurses: A review of the research literature. Int J Nurs Stud, 44(2): 297-314.
14. Kim J, Lee E, Kwon H, et al (2024). Effects of work environments on satisfaction of nurses working for integrated care system in South Korea: A multisite cross-sectional investigation. BMC Nurs, 23(1): 459.
15. Chan RJ, Milch VE, Crawford-Williams F, et al (2023). Patient navigation across the cancer care continuum: An overview of systematic reviews and emerging literature. CA Cancer J Clin, 73(6): 565-589.
16. Page MJ, Moher D, Bossuyt PM, et al (2021). PRISMA 2020 explanation and elaboration: Updated guidance and exem-plars for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372: n160.
17. Simonetti M, Aiken LH, Lake ET (2023). As-sociation between the nurse work envi-ronment and patient experience in Chilean hospitals: A multi-hospital cross-sectional study. J Nurs Scholarsh, 55(6): 1248-1257.
18. Stemmer R, Bassi E, Sigal E, et al (2022). A systematic review: Unfinished nursing care and the impact on the nurse outcomes of job satisfaction, burnout, intention-to-leave and turnover. J Adv Nurs, 78(8): 2290-2303.
19. Friese CR, Mendelsohn-Victor K, Medvec BR, et al (2021). Factors associated with job satisfaction in medical oncology practices: Results from a multisite survey. J Nurs Adm, 51(4): 200-205.
20. Pamela, B., De Cordova (2017). Staffing and nurse-perceived quality of care. Evid Based Nurs, 20(1): 19.
21. Gür E, Ekici D (2020). Determining factors that influence nurses' perceptions of quali-ty implementations conducted in hospitals in Turkey. J Nurs Res, 28(3): e91.
22. Loredana S, Annamaria B, Gianluca C, et al (2019). Push and pull factors of nurses' intention to leave. J Nurs Manag, 27(5):946-954.
23. Guo S, Chang Y, Chang H, et al (2023). Pa-tient satisfaction with nurses' care is posi-tively related to the nurse-patient relation-ship in Chinese hospitals: A multicentre study. Front Public Health, 10:1109313.
24. Winter V, Dietermann K, Schneider U, et al (2021). Nurse staffing and patient-perceived quality of nursing care: A cross-sectional analysis of survey and adminis-trative data in German hospitals. BMJ Open, 11(11):e051133.
25. Kvist T, Voutilainen A, Mäntynen R, et al (2014). The relationship between patients’ perceptions of care quality and three fac-tors: Nursing staff job satisfaction, organi-zational characteristics and patient age. BMC Health Serv Res, 14: 466.
26. Cho E, Min D, Heo S J, et al (2023). Effects of registered nurses' staffing levels, work environment and education levels on nurs-ing home residents' quality of life and nurse outcomes. J Clin Nurs, 32(17-18): 6494-6503.
27. Lavoie-Tremblay M, Gélinas C, Aubé T, et al (2022). Influence of caring for COVID-19 patients on nurse's turnover, work satis-faction and quality of care. J Nurs Manag, 30(1): 33-43.
28. Chen Q, Gottlieb LJ, Liu D, et al (2020). The nurse outcomes and patient outcomes following the High-Quality Care Project. Int Nurs Rev, 67(3):362-371.
29. Bloom BR, Atun R, Cohen T, Dye C, Fra-ser H, Gomez G. B., et al. (Eds.). (2017). Major infectious diseases (3rd ed.). The Interna-tional Bank for Reconstruction and De-velopment / The World Bank. Chapter 11.
30. Zhu X, Kunaviktikul W, Sirakamon S, et al (2021). A causal model of thriving at work in Chinese nurses. Int Nurs Rev, 68(4): 444-452.
31. Gayathiri E, Prakash P, Selvam K, et al (2024). In silico elucidation for the identi-fication of potential phytochemical against ACE-II inhibitors. J Mol Model, 30(3): 78.
32. Gurunathan S, Thangaraj P, Wang L, et al (2024). Nanovaccines: An effective thera-peutic approach for cancer therapy. Biomed Pharmacother, 170: 115992.
33. Cojocaru DC, Mitu F, Leon MM, et al (2023). Beyond the acute phase: Long-term impact of COVID-19 on functional capaci-ty and prothrombotic risk—A pilot study. Medicina (Kaunas), 60(1): 51.
34. Milton J, Erichsen Andersson A, Åberg ND, et al (2022). Healthcare professionals' perceptions of interprofessional teamwork in the emergency department: A critical incident study. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med, 30(1): 46.
2. Rathert C, Wyrwich MD, Boren SA (2013). Patient-centered care and outcomes: A sys-tematic review of the literature. Med Care Res Rev, 70(4): 351-379.
3. Tune T, Goh S, Williams PAH, et al (2022). How is quality of mHealth interventions for cancer survivors defined and de-scribed? An umbrella review. JCO Clin Can-cer Inform, 6: e2100203.
4. Aiken LH, Sloane DM, Ball J, et al (2018). Patient satisfaction with hospital care and nurses in England: an observational study. BMJ Open, 8(1): e019189.
5. Stalpers D, Van Der Linden D, Kaljouw MJ, et al (2017). Nurse-perceived quality of care in intensive care units and associa-tions with work environment characteris-tics: A multicentre survey study. J Adv Nurs, 73(6): 1482-1490.
6. Leggat SG, Bartram T, Casimir G, et al (2010). Nurse perceptions of the quality of patient care: Confirming the importance of empowerment and job satisfaction. Health Care Manage Rev, 35(4): 355-364.
7. Alanazi FK, Lapkin S, Molloy L, Sim J (2023). Healthcare-associated infections in adult intensive care units: A multisource study examining nurses' safety attitudes, quality of care, missed care, and nurse staffing. Intensive Crit Care Nurs, 78: 103480.
8. Asif M, Jameel A, Hussain A, et al (2019). Linking transformational leadership with nurse-assessed adverse patient outcomes and the quality of care: Assessing the role of job satisfaction and structural empow-erment. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 16(13): 2381.
9. Kremer L, Lipprandt M, Röhrig R, et al (2021). Examining the mental workload as-sociated with digital health technologies in health care: Protocol for a systematic re-view focusing on assessment methods. JMIR Res Protoc, 10(8): e29126.
10. Shaw L, Kiegaldie D, Morris ME (2021). Educating health professionals to imple-ment evidence-based falls screening in hospitals. Nurse Edu Today, 101: 104874.
11. McHugh MD, Kutney-Lee A, Cimiotti JP, et al (2011). Nurses' widespread job dissatis-faction, burnout, and frustration with health benefits signal problems for patient care. Health Aff (Millwood), 30(2): 202-10.
12. Cho E, Lee KH, Kang B, et al (2023). Per-ceived work environment, educational sta-tus, staffing levels, and work outcomes in long-term care settings during COVID-19. J Am Med Dir Assoc, 24(10): 1600-1605.
13. Coomber B, Barriball KL (2007). Impact of job satisfaction components on intent to leave and turnover for hospital-based nurses: A review of the research literature. Int J Nurs Stud, 44(2): 297-314.
14. Kim J, Lee E, Kwon H, et al (2024). Effects of work environments on satisfaction of nurses working for integrated care system in South Korea: A multisite cross-sectional investigation. BMC Nurs, 23(1): 459.
15. Chan RJ, Milch VE, Crawford-Williams F, et al (2023). Patient navigation across the cancer care continuum: An overview of systematic reviews and emerging literature. CA Cancer J Clin, 73(6): 565-589.
16. Page MJ, Moher D, Bossuyt PM, et al (2021). PRISMA 2020 explanation and elaboration: Updated guidance and exem-plars for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372: n160.
17. Simonetti M, Aiken LH, Lake ET (2023). As-sociation between the nurse work envi-ronment and patient experience in Chilean hospitals: A multi-hospital cross-sectional study. J Nurs Scholarsh, 55(6): 1248-1257.
18. Stemmer R, Bassi E, Sigal E, et al (2022). A systematic review: Unfinished nursing care and the impact on the nurse outcomes of job satisfaction, burnout, intention-to-leave and turnover. J Adv Nurs, 78(8): 2290-2303.
19. Friese CR, Mendelsohn-Victor K, Medvec BR, et al (2021). Factors associated with job satisfaction in medical oncology practices: Results from a multisite survey. J Nurs Adm, 51(4): 200-205.
20. Pamela, B., De Cordova (2017). Staffing and nurse-perceived quality of care. Evid Based Nurs, 20(1): 19.
21. Gür E, Ekici D (2020). Determining factors that influence nurses' perceptions of quali-ty implementations conducted in hospitals in Turkey. J Nurs Res, 28(3): e91.
22. Loredana S, Annamaria B, Gianluca C, et al (2019). Push and pull factors of nurses' intention to leave. J Nurs Manag, 27(5):946-954.
23. Guo S, Chang Y, Chang H, et al (2023). Pa-tient satisfaction with nurses' care is posi-tively related to the nurse-patient relation-ship in Chinese hospitals: A multicentre study. Front Public Health, 10:1109313.
24. Winter V, Dietermann K, Schneider U, et al (2021). Nurse staffing and patient-perceived quality of nursing care: A cross-sectional analysis of survey and adminis-trative data in German hospitals. BMJ Open, 11(11):e051133.
25. Kvist T, Voutilainen A, Mäntynen R, et al (2014). The relationship between patients’ perceptions of care quality and three fac-tors: Nursing staff job satisfaction, organi-zational characteristics and patient age. BMC Health Serv Res, 14: 466.
26. Cho E, Min D, Heo S J, et al (2023). Effects of registered nurses' staffing levels, work environment and education levels on nurs-ing home residents' quality of life and nurse outcomes. J Clin Nurs, 32(17-18): 6494-6503.
27. Lavoie-Tremblay M, Gélinas C, Aubé T, et al (2022). Influence of caring for COVID-19 patients on nurse's turnover, work satis-faction and quality of care. J Nurs Manag, 30(1): 33-43.
28. Chen Q, Gottlieb LJ, Liu D, et al (2020). The nurse outcomes and patient outcomes following the High-Quality Care Project. Int Nurs Rev, 67(3):362-371.
29. Bloom BR, Atun R, Cohen T, Dye C, Fra-ser H, Gomez G. B., et al. (Eds.). (2017). Major infectious diseases (3rd ed.). The Interna-tional Bank for Reconstruction and De-velopment / The World Bank. Chapter 11.
30. Zhu X, Kunaviktikul W, Sirakamon S, et al (2021). A causal model of thriving at work in Chinese nurses. Int Nurs Rev, 68(4): 444-452.
31. Gayathiri E, Prakash P, Selvam K, et al (2024). In silico elucidation for the identi-fication of potential phytochemical against ACE-II inhibitors. J Mol Model, 30(3): 78.
32. Gurunathan S, Thangaraj P, Wang L, et al (2024). Nanovaccines: An effective thera-peutic approach for cancer therapy. Biomed Pharmacother, 170: 115992.
33. Cojocaru DC, Mitu F, Leon MM, et al (2023). Beyond the acute phase: Long-term impact of COVID-19 on functional capaci-ty and prothrombotic risk—A pilot study. Medicina (Kaunas), 60(1): 51.
34. Milton J, Erichsen Andersson A, Åberg ND, et al (2022). Healthcare professionals' perceptions of interprofessional teamwork in the emergency department: A critical incident study. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med, 30(1): 46.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 55 No 1 (2026) | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v55i1.20969 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Nurse job satisfaction Patient care quality Systematic review Healthcare outcomes Work environment Professional development | ||
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How to Cite
1.
Wang M, Zhang C, Li H. Assessing the Impact of Nurse Job Satisfaction on Patient Care Quality: A Systematic Review. Iran J Public Health. 2026;55(1):14-25.
