Job Satisfaction and Motivation among Filipino Nurses in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The influx of Filipino nurses into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has notably transformed the healthcare landscape, with these dedicated cadre of professionals constituting a significant portion of the nursing workforce. Filipino nurses have been a substantial and indispensable element, contributing significantly to the efficient functioning of the UAE's healthcare system. The Filipino diaspora in healthcare settings worldwide is marked by its resilience, adaptability, and unwavering dedication to patient care. These dedicated healthcare professionals contribute significantly to the country's healthcare infrastructure. However, their job satisfaction and motivation have remained relatively underexplored despite their pivotal role, creating a conspicuous void in existing research within the domain of nursing workforce management.

The existing body of research on nursing in the UAE predominantly centers on clinical practices, healthcare management, and patient outcomes. However, the psychosocial dimensions of job satisfaction and motivation among Filipino nurses in this unique context have been left conspicuously understudied. This gap in the literature presents an urgent call for investigation and this conspicuous lacuna in the literature necessitates a dedicated investigation into the job satisfaction and motivation levels of Filipino nurses in the UAE. Understanding the determinants that influence job satisfaction and motivation is not only academically pertinent but also imperative for healthcare practitioners, policymakers, and administrators. By exploring the unique experiences, challenges, and factors that influence the job satisfaction and motivation of Filipino nurses, this research seeks to contribute substantially to the ongoing intellectual discourse surrounding the healthcare labor force, not only for Filipino Nursing Expatriates around the world but moreover, those who are based in the Philippines, thereby underscoring its significance to scholars, educators, students, and practitioners alike.

Conducting the type of study for the first time among Kabayan Nurses in the Middle East, this quantitative research investigated the correlation of job satisfaction and motivation of 117 Filipino nursing participants employed across the seven states of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). All research participants were licensed nurses and certified members of the Philippine Nursing Association in the UAE, reflecting a homogeneous and well-defined sample. The research received full support from the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, emphasizing its significance.

Data for this study were collected using structured questionnaires distributed through an online survey platform, specifically Google Forms. The study employed a descriptive correlational research design, utilizing statistical measures such as mode, percentage, and mean to provide an overview of key aspects within the collected data. Furthermore, inferential statistics, including Pearson's correlation coefficient and Chi-square analysis, were utilized to draw conclusions based on the sample data, enabling an exploration of the relationship between job satisfaction and motivation.

As a result, the research yielded significant insights, as the Filipino Nurses who took part in the study exhibited positive levels of job satisfaction and motivation. Their responses underscored a consensus across various dimensions of their work environment, including aspects like salary, job security, working conditions, responsibility, cooperation, technical supervision qualities, and interpersonal relationships.

Significantly, the research established a strong positive correlation between job satisfaction and motivation among Filipino nurses in the United Arab Emirates. This implies that as job satisfaction levels increase, motivation levels also tend to rise, underscoring the importance of enhancing job satisfaction to boost motivation among this demographic. This finding has profound implications for healthcare organizations and policymakers in the UAE, suggesting that improving job satisfaction can be an effective strategy for enhancing nurses' work motivation.

Interestingly, the study revealed that job satisfaction and motivation remained unaffected by the demographic and professional profiles of Filipino nurses in the UAE. This highlights the complexity of these constructs, suggesting that factors beyond traditional profiling have a more significant impact on job satisfaction and motivation. This underscores the need for healthcare organizations and policymakers to adopt a broader and more comprehensive approach to address nurses' well-being and job satisfaction.

This pedagogical research contributed significantly to the body of knowledge as it illuminated the relationship between job satisfaction and motivation among Filipino nurses in the UAE. The findings provided valuable insights for healthcare organizations and policymakers in the Emirates, underscoring the significance of prioritizing job satisfaction as a means to enhance nurses' motivation. As a result, it was recommended that healthcare organizations in the country should have focused on creating work environments conducive to job satisfaction. This would have included fair compensation, job security, and nurturing positive interpersonal relationships, all of which were believed to have the potential to increase motivation levels among their Filipino nursing workforces.

Furthermore, this study calls for further research into the complex dynamics of job satisfaction and motivation in nursing, with the aim of offering a more comprehensive understanding of these critical factors within healthcare settings.