The Value and Viability of a Daily Job Satisfaction Measure in the Operating Room Setting [The Morale-o-Meter Study]

Abstract

Background: Job satisfaction in the operating room (OR) setting impacts on staff wellbeing, retention, burnout, and patient outcomes. There is currently no existing tool for managers wanting to measure and monitor job satisfaction in close to real-time in this setting. Aim: This study aimed to: 1) collaboratively develop a daily measure of job satisfaction in the OR setting, 2) identify practical issues relating to the value, acceptability, and feasibility of implementing the tool in an OR setting, and 3) test the convergent and predictive validity of the daily-level single item job satisfaction tool with overall job satisfaction, affective commitment, and emotional exhaustion. Method: Utilising an action research methodology, the researcher and OR personnel from within one New Zealand hospital created an innovative daily job satisfaction measure (Morale-o-Meter). Development, trial, and evaluation phases were conducted during the period of March 2018 to June 2019. A three-week trial was conducted from May 2019 to June 2019. All staff members that worked in the OR were invited to participate, using the tool once each shift. The tool took approximately one minute to complete. Following the trial, an online feedback and validation survey was emailed to all staff. Results: A total of 269 staff members from a range of job roles in the OR participated in the Morale-o-Meter trial (78% response rate), with a total of 569 entries. The validation/feedback survey was completed by 38 participants post-trial (14% response rate). The validity analysis yielded highly significant results with overall job satisfaction strongly positively related to daily job satisfaction and affective commitment, and negatively related to emotional exhaustion. The key findings around the tool’s feasibility for implementation related to 1) usability and accessibility, 2) access to resources and personnel, 3) communication from management and, 4) the degree of staff ‘buy-in’. Conclusion: As the morale-o-meter is developed further, it has the potential to increase the visibility of the voice of OR nurses and the wider team thereby allowing for timely and targeted interventions. This will increase overall accountability for and transparency of staff wellbeing in the OR setting.