Instrument Validation: Hospital Nurse Perceptions of Meaning and Joy in Work.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

When workers experience meaning and joy in work (MJW), job satisfaction and retention are enhanced. No measure for MJW among nurses exists. The purpose of this work was to develop/test the MJW Questionnaire (MJWQ).

METHODS

The initial MJWQ was piloted with a convenience sample of post-licensure nursing students. Factor analyses established MJWQ subscales for the MJWQ: "value /connections," "meaningful work," "caring." Subsequently, 463 employed nurses validated MJWQ psychometrics.

RESULTS

The MJWQ demonstrated acceptable construct validity and internal consistency (α = .94). Scores were significantly associated with job satisfaction ( = .686).

CONCLUSIONS

Initial testing supports adequate measurement of MJW for hospital nurses in varying roles. Testing in other settings, evaluation of sensitivity in determining intervention effectiveness, and inclusion in multivariate analyses of workforce engagement are suggested.