Job satisfaction and acculturation among Filipino registered nurses

Purpose: To determine the (a) levels of acculturation and job satisfaction, (b) relationship between acculturation and job satisfaction, and (c) effects of select sociodemographic variables in predicting job satisfaction among Filipino RNs educated in the Philippines who are working in the US. Design: Descriptive correlational. A convenience sample of Filipino RNs (N=96) present during the PNAA Eastern Regional Conference in Baltimore, MD was conducted. Methods: A survey was conducted using A Short Acculturation Scale for Filipino Americans (ASASFA) to measure acculturation, Part B of the Index of Work Satisfaction Scale (IWS) to assess job satisfaction, and a participant demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using A Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis. Findings: Participants had a moderate level of job satisfaction that was positively correlated to a level of acculturation that was closer to American than to Filipino culture. Furthermore, age, length of U.S. residency, and acculturation significantly predicted perception of job satisfaction among this group of Filipino RNs. Conclusions: Job satisfaction among Filipino nurses is related to acculturation and select sociodemographic variables. Further research to determine how best to improve acculturation may lead to improved retention rates of Filipino nurses in countries to which they have migrated. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 2008; 40:1, 46-51.