Effects of Optimism on Work Satisfaction Among Nurses: A Mediation Model Through Work-Family Conflict

• Published in: Frontiers in psychiatry Vol. 12; p. 779396
• Main Authors: Zhang, Weiyu, Zheng, Zhen, Pylypchuk, Romana, Zhao, Jinfeng, Sznajder, Kristin K, Cui, Can, Yang, Xiaoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 25.11.2021
• Subjects: mental health; nurses; optimism; Psychiatry; work satisfaction; work-family conflict; work-family conflict; optimism; work satisfaction; nurses; mental health
• ISSN: 1664-0640; 1664-0640
• DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.779396

Nurses are suffering from various stressors which adversely impact their work satisfaction and mental health. Research is scarce on optimism, one of the positive psychological resource which may reduce work-family conflict and improve work satisfaction. This study aims to assess work satisfaction among Chinese nurses and to observe and illustrate the relationships among optimism, work-family conflict, and work satisfaction. This study was designed as a cross-sectional study with stratified sampling. From September 2019 to December 2020, a self-administered WeChat questionnaire was collected from 768 nurses online in China to evaluate the nurses' work satisfaction, optimism, and work-family conflict. Spearman correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were applied to examine associated factors of work satisfaction. A structural equation model was employed to test the mediating effect of work-family conflict in the relationship between optimism and work satisfaction. Optimism were observed to have a positive correlation with work satisfaction while the correlation between work-family conflict and work satisfaction was observed to be negative. Optimism and work-family conflict explained 4.8 and 9.2% of the incremental variances of work satisfaction, respectively. Work-family conflict served as a mediator in the relationship between optimism and work satisfaction. Nurses in China experienced high levels of work satisfaction. Optimism could increase the chance of higher work satisfaction while work-family conflict increased the risk of lower work satisfaction. Psychological interventions and improvement of working conditions are essential to relieve work-family conflicts and enhance work satisfaction.