Role conflict, role ambiguity, and job satisfaction in RN to baccalaureate students in Texas

ABSTRACT VICKI LYN WHITE ROLE CONFLICT, ROLE AMBIGUITY, AND JOB SATISFACTION IN RN TO BS/BSN STUDENTS IN TEXAS MAY 2021 Background: The Institute of Medicine (IOM, 2011) recommended that nurses attain higher levels of education at the baccalaureate level and above to assume roles as providers, researchers, educators, and leaders to impact health policy. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among role conflict, role ambiguity, and job satisfaction in RN to BS/BSN students in Texas. Method: A cross-sectional correlational design was used to: (a) determine the relationships among role conflict, role ambiguity, and job satisfaction; (b) the ability of role conflict and role ambiguity to predict job satisfaction; and (c) to determine the relationship between descriptive variables and role conflict, role ambiguity, and job satisfaction. Participants in three RN to BS/BSN programs in Texas completed a survey in PsychData that included the tools: (a) Role Conflict and Role Ambiguity Scale, (b) Job Satisfaction Index, and (c) demographic questions created by the researcher. The total number of participants was 87. Spearman’s nonparametric rank order correlation was used to determine the direction and strength of relationships between role conflict, role ambiguity, and job satisfaction. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to add the variables role conflict and role ambiguity to determine the model’s ability to predict job satisfaction, while controlling for age in groups, gender, marital status, race/ethnicity, number of nursing course hours in the current semester, and hours worked per week. Results: Findings indicated there was a moderate negative relationship between role conflict and job satisfaction indicating that as participants’ role conflict increased, job satisfaction decreased. There was a moderate positive relationship between role ambiguity and job satisfaction, which indicated as role ambiguity increased, job satisfaction increased. Analyses revealed a moderate negative relationship between role conflict and role ambiguity, indicating that as role conflict increased, role ambiguity decreased. Using hierarchical multiple regression, the researcher found that role ambiguity and role conflict were significantly predictive of job satisfaction. Lower role conflict and higher role ambiguity predicted higher job satisfaction.
Conclusions: As participants’ role conflict increases, job satisfaction decreases. As role ambiguity increases, job satisfaction increases. As role conflict increases, role ambiguity decreases. Role conflict and role ambiguity significantly predict job satisfaction. Role conflict has a negative effect on job satisfaction and role ambiguity has a positive effect on job satisfaction.