TY - JOUR
T1 - The cancer nursing workforce in Australia
T2 - a national survey exploring determinants of job satisfaction
AU - Bradford, Natalie
AU - Moore, Elizabeth
AU - Taylor, Karen
AU - Cook, Olivia
AU - Gent, Lucy
AU - Beane, Theresa
AU - Williams, Natalie
AU - Alexander, Kimberly
AU - Pitt, Erin
AU - Still, Jemma
AU - Wellard, Cameron
AU - McErlean, Gemma
AU - Kirk, Deborah
AU - Monterosso, Leanne
AU - McCarthy, Alexandra
AU - Lokmic-Tomkins, Zerina
AU - Balson, Jessica
AU - Gates, Priscilla
AU - the CNSA Research Standing Committee
AU - the CNSA Board of Directors
N1 - Funding Information:
Cancer Nurses Society Australia funded this project through Queensland University Technology in a grant awarded to Natalie Bradford to complete this work.
Funding Information:
This study was supported by funding through the Cancer Nurses Society Australia. We thank the Cancer Nurses across Australia who responded to our survey. The CNSA wish to thank Shanthi Gardiner from the Australian Primary HealthCare Nurses Association, and Adam Searby from the Drug and Alcohol Nurses Association for their collegiate collaboration in sharing their experiences with workforce surveys. We thank the CNSA Board of Directors for their review and contribution including Meredith Cummings, Anne Mellon, Diane Davey, Sue Schnoonbeek, Gabby Vicar, and Kate White. Preliminary findings from this study were presented at the Cancer Nurses Society Australia annual congress 2022, and at the Haematology Society of Australia and New Zealand Scientific meeting 2022 The authors declare no conflicts of interest
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s).
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Background: To maintain and improve the quality of the cancer nursing workforce, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence retention and job satisfaction. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of cancer nurses in Australia and identify predictors of job satisfaction. Methods: We analysed data from an anonymous cross-sectional survey distributed through the Cancer Nurses Society Australia membership and social media platforms from October 2021 to February 2022. The survey was compared to national nursing registration data. Data were analysed with non-parametric tests, and a stepwise, linear regression model was developed to best predict job satisfaction. Results: Responses were received from 930 cancer nurses. Most respondents (85%) described themselves as experienced nurses, and more than half had post-graduate qualifications. We identified individual, organizational, and systemic factors that contribute to job satisfaction and can impact in workforce shortages. The findings include strategies to address and prioritize workforce challenges. There were 89 different titles for advanced practice nursing roles. Managing high workload was a reported challenge by 88%. Intention to stay less than 10 years was reported by nearly 60%; this was significantly correlated with job satisfaction and age. Significantly higher scores for job satisfaction were associated with those who had career progression opportunities, career development opportunities, adequate peer support and a clearly defined scope of role. Conversely, job satisfaction scores decreased the more people agreed there was a lack of leadership and they had insufficient resources to provide quality care. Conclusion: Cancer nurses are critical to the delivery of cancer care however, the workforce faces multiple challenges. This study provides an understanding of the Australian cancer nursing workforce characteristics, their roles and activities, and highlights important considerations for retaining nurses in the profession.
AB - Background: To maintain and improve the quality of the cancer nursing workforce, it is crucial to understand the factors that influence retention and job satisfaction. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of cancer nurses in Australia and identify predictors of job satisfaction. Methods: We analysed data from an anonymous cross-sectional survey distributed through the Cancer Nurses Society Australia membership and social media platforms from October 2021 to February 2022. The survey was compared to national nursing registration data. Data were analysed with non-parametric tests, and a stepwise, linear regression model was developed to best predict job satisfaction. Results: Responses were received from 930 cancer nurses. Most respondents (85%) described themselves as experienced nurses, and more than half had post-graduate qualifications. We identified individual, organizational, and systemic factors that contribute to job satisfaction and can impact in workforce shortages. The findings include strategies to address and prioritize workforce challenges. There were 89 different titles for advanced practice nursing roles. Managing high workload was a reported challenge by 88%. Intention to stay less than 10 years was reported by nearly 60%; this was significantly correlated with job satisfaction and age. Significantly higher scores for job satisfaction were associated with those who had career progression opportunities, career development opportunities, adequate peer support and a clearly defined scope of role. Conversely, job satisfaction scores decreased the more people agreed there was a lack of leadership and they had insufficient resources to provide quality care. Conclusion: Cancer nurses are critical to the delivery of cancer care however, the workforce faces multiple challenges. This study provides an understanding of the Australian cancer nursing workforce characteristics, their roles and activities, and highlights important considerations for retaining nurses in the profession.
KW - Cross sectional studies
KW - Job satisfaction
KW - Leadership
KW - Workforce
KW - Workload
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85178470978&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12912-023-01629-7
DO - 10.1186/s12912-023-01629-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 38057825
AN - SCOPUS:85178470978
SN - 1472-6955
VL - 22
JO - BMC Nursing
JF - BMC Nursing
IS - 1
M1 - 461
ER -
