A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Nursing Practice Environment and Job Satisfaction Among Nurses in Saudi Arabian Hospitals

Abstract

The nursing practice environment has been identified as a crucial factor influencing nurses' job satisfaction, which in turn affects patient outcomes and organizational performance. This systematic review aims to synthesize the evidence on the relationship between the nursing practice environment and job satisfaction among nurses in Saudi Arabian hospitals. A comprehensive search of electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus, was conducted to identify relevant studies published between 2010 and 2023. The search strategy employed a combination of keywords related to nursing practice environment, job satisfaction, and Saudi Arabia. A total of 22 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The findings revealed a consistent positive association between the nursing practice environment and job satisfaction among nurses in Saudi Arabian hospitals. Key dimensions of the practice environment, such as nurse participation in hospital affairs, nursing foundations for quality of care, nurse manager ability, leadership, and support, staffing and resource adequacy, and collegial nurse-physician relations, were found to be significant predictors of job satisfaction. However, the strength of the association varied across studies and hospital settings. The review also identified several methodological limitations and gaps in the existing literature, highlighting the need for more rigorous and longitudinal studies to establish causal relationships and explore the mechanisms underlying the association between practice environment and job satisfaction. The findings of this review have important implications for nursing management, policymakers, and researchers in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing the need to create and sustain positive practice environments to enhance nurses' job satisfaction and improve healthcare outcomes.