Relationship between Job Satisfaction and Burnout among Nurses in Public and Private Hospitals in Shiraz city in 2012

Background & Since privatization in hospitals is increasing, conducting research in various fields of private hospitals and comparison with public hospitals is felt. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and burnout among nurses employed in selected public and private hospitals in Shiraz, Iran. This was a comparative-correlational study. The study population was composed of nurses employed in public and private hospitals in Shiraz city in 2012. The sample size was estimated to be 320 using cochran formula. The data collection tools were the questionnaire of Spector job satisfaction” and “Maslach burnout”. The study was conducted in two private and two public hospitals in Shiraz. After obtaining permission to visit hospitals and distribute questionnaires among nurses, the data were collected randomly. Descriptive level of percentage, mean, standard deviation and inferential level of Pearson correlation and MANOVA and T test were used. The findings indicated that there was a significant and negative relationship among job satisfaction and three dimensions of burnout in both public and private sectors (p<0.001). In addition, the results showed that there was a significant difference among the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization between private and public sectors (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference regarding job satisfaction and reduced productivity performance of these two sectors. According to the findings, by increase in the nurse's job satisfaction, particularly in the public sector, the adverse effects of burnout can be prevented.