Job satisfaction of intensive care nurses practising primary nursing. A comparison with those practising total patient care.

This study compares the job satisfaction experienced by intensive care nurses practising primary nursing with those who practised total patient care in an a earlier study using the same tool. Differences in the job aspects of; challenge, initiative, seeing work through, output/goals, knowledge and skills appear to be associated with the organisational approach. Some similarities exist between the two units-nurses gained most sense of achievement from: seeing patients improve, personal achievement, giving care and camaraderie. In both units nurses wanted greater opportunities for inter-professional involvement and decision-making. Primary nursing as an organisational approach may provide opportunities for increasing the amount of challenge, decision-making, opportunities for using initiative, seeing work through and subsequently job satisfaction in intensive care nursing. Further study of the job satisfaction of nurses practising primary nursing in ICU is recommended, but sizes and return rates need to be optimised.