In the present study, the lower job satisfaction found
among experienced nurses may also be as a result of the
fact that nurses who have worked for more than
10 years are often seeking promotion or advanced
opportunities. These nurses could also be interested in
becoming involved in decision and policy making at
their workplace or receiving recognition for good work.
This was observed in a recent study on satisfaction and
intention to stay among current health workers in
Uganda by the Ministry of Health (Ministry of Health
2007). Previous literature has demonstrated that nurses
are likely to report low job satisfaction if they do not
receive promotion and advancement opportunities
(Lephalala et al. 2008).
Results of the present study indicated a significant
difference in job performance means by type of hospital.
Furthermore, the public hospital had the lowest
mean score for job performance among the four hospitals
and there was a significant difference in means for
the different hospitals. These results concur with a study
done in Thailand where nurses in the public hospitals
had more stress than those in private hospitals (Tyson
& Pongruengphant 2004). Although no study comparing
the public and private hospitals has been conducted in Uganda, this may be an indication that there are
differences in organizational support issues between the
public and private not-for-profit hospitals.
The present study had several limitations. Occupational
stress measurement was based on self-report rather
than by physiological biochemical analyses of
blood or by physical and mental status assessments. The
instruments utilized in the present study were based on
American and European populations and may not have
been culturally appropriate for the Ugandan nurses, and
the use of a convenient sample may have biased the
results.