J of IMAB. 2019 Jul-Sep;25(3) https://www.journal-imab-bg.org 2659

SUMMARYMotivation is a complex mental process that

in its dynamics represents a specific cycle - a mo-tivational cycle. It combines three basic elements:needs, motives and satisfaction. In the present arti-cle, data from a specific empirical study analyzesthe correlation between professional motives and thesatisfaction of nurses working in a hospital station.It is found that satisfaction is clearly dependent onthe motivation to choose a profession and the or-ganization of nursing work. At the same time, sat-isfaction reverses the level of professional motiva-tion of the nurses and the overall psychic climatein the nursing team.

Key words: motivation, satisfaction, motiva-tion cycle, profession selection, nursing staff turno-ver,

INTRODUCTIONThe present article is the first part of an inte-

gral survey of the professional motivation and sat-isfaction of nurses in Bulgaria. Our objective in thisarticle is to analyze the interconnection betweenmotivation and satisfaction as elements of the mo-tivation cycle in young nurses with professionalexperience of up to five years.

Essence of the motivation cycleIn literature, motivation is regarded as a com-

plex combination of mental processes, which de-termine the strength, and direction of expressionand development of human behavior in terms of

Original article

INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN PROFES-SIONAL MOTIVATION AND SATISFACTION OFTHE NURSING STAFF

Teodora Stoeva1, Dimitar Shopov2, Boryana Borisova3, VaninaMihaylova3, Tanya Paskaleva4, Biyanka Tornyova2,1) University Hospital St. George - Plovdiv, Medical University,Plovdiv, Bulgaria2) Department of Social Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Pub-lic Health, Medical University, Plovdiv, Bulgaria3) Department of Kinesitherapy, Faculty of Public Health, MedicalUniversity, Sofia, Bulgaria4) Department Healthcare, Branch Haskovo of the Trakia University,Bulgaria.

Journal of IMAB - Annual Proceeding (Scientific Papers). 2019 Jul-Sep;25(3)Journal of IMABISSN: 1312-773Xhttps://www.journal-imab-bg.org

making personal voluntary decisions for a specific,purposeful action or omission in the occurrence ofa particular situation [1, 2, 3, 4].

Motivation is not a passing act but a processwith certain dynamics.

The multiple repetitions of the motivationprocess forms a motivation cycle. This cycle is aresult of the permanent occurrence of unsatisfiedneeds and repeated necessity of their satisfaction [5,6, 7]. In the elements of the motivation cycle, a keyposition is dedicated to the cognitive needs and ex-pressed interests of the subject of motivation.Abraham Maslow develops a motivation model ofthe hierarchy of needs and divides it into 5 levelsforming the so-called pyramid of needs. Psycholo-gists use the concept of motivation cycle in orderto describe more demonstratively the motivationalaspects of behavior.

Interrelation between “motivation and sat-isfaction”

In the light of these ideas, the motivation cy-cle in its essence is a unity of motivation and sat-isfaction (of needs). Motivation and satisfaction aredirectly related to and influence each other.

The low level of satisfaction may give rise toactive motivation, but it can also block it. Someanalyses of the nursing activity show that exactlylow professional satisfaction (remuneration, lowpublic rating, etc.) may be a demotivating factor ofthe professional motivation of the nurses [8, 9, 10,11].

https://doi.org/10.5272/jimab.2019253.2659

2660 https://www.journal-imab-bg.org J of IMAB. 2019 Jul-Sep;25(3)

Fig. 1. Motivation and satisfaction are directly related.

This motivation cycle is very important inorder to render each analysis of the nurses’ pro-fessional motivation complete in direct relation tothe level of their professional satisfaction.

MethodologySubject of our study is two typologically se-

lected public hospitals in the region of Plovdiv.Observation units are young nurses with profes-sional experience of up to five years. The infor-mation is collected through an anonymous socio-

logical questionnaire among 152 young nurses.

RESULTS AND ANALYSESIn our previous publications, the structure of

the motivation for the selection, of the nursing pro-fessions has been specifically presented. Now wecomplement this analysis with data on the prelimi-nary awareness of the specification of the nursingactivity as of the time of choosing the nursing pro-fession.

Fig. 2. Preliminary information about the present workQuestion: Before you took up your present position, to what extent were you informed about the

nature and requirements of your particular job:

The data on figure 1 show very low unsatis-factory preliminary information of the nurses withregard to the nature and requirements of their cur-rent job. Before taking up their current duties, a huge

percent of the questioned young nurses (86% in to-tal) were not informed or partially informed. Such asituation may be a factor of future dissatisfaction withthe job and inadequate professional motivation.

J of IMAB. 2019 Jul-Sep;25(3) https://www.journal-imab-bg.org 2661

The professional motivation is not a fixedvalue, it has its dynamics. From the data on figure2, it becomes clear that the motivation undergoescertain changes, and in a significant number ofnurses, it decreases more or less in comparison to

the time of choosing their profession, i.e. their ini-tial motivation. It is obvious that the dynamics ofthe professional motivation of the nurses must besubject to permanent monitoring with a view to itsregulation into a positive direction.

Fig. 3. Change in the professional motivation of nursesQuestion: Compare the strength of your motivation at the time you chose the nursing profession

and at present – did it increase or decrease:

The respondents were asked a special questionwhich indirectly shows the level of their professionalsatisfaction. Literature indicates that in many casesthe respondents give more honest and trustworthyanswers to such control indirect questions, i.e. suchindirect questions are a necessary criterion and anecessary indicator of the establishment of the level

of satisfaction and professional motivation.The data from figure 3 show that more than

one third of the interviewed nurses would notchoose again the same profession or hesitate aboutsuch a repeated choice. This is an alarming factwhich deserves special attention of the hospitalmanagement in Bulgaria.

Fig. 4. Attitude and readiness for a repeated choice of the same professionQuestion: If you had to choose your profession now, would you choose the nursing profession

again:

2662 https://www.journal-imab-bg.org J of IMAB. 2019 Jul-Sep;25(3)

Address for correspondence:Dimitar Shopov, MD, PhD,Chief Assistant Prof. Department of Social Medicine and PublicHealth, Medical University - Plovdiv, Bulgaria,E-mail: shopov_d@abv.bg,

1. Shopov D, Mihaylova V, StoevaT. Career Development and Partner-ship of Nurses. East European Scien-tific Journal (Warsaw, Poland). 2016;7(1): 105-109 [Internet]

2. Lafond DA. Clinical nurse satis-faction with early integration of pal-liative care. Cancer Nurs. 2013 Mar-Apr; 36(2): 91-2. [PubMed] [Crossref]

3. Shopov DG, Stoeva TR. Profes-sional Accomplishment and Prestige ofHealthcare Specialists. East EuropeanScientific Journal (Warsaw, Poland).2016; 8(2):117-120. [Internet]

4. Shopov D, Stoeva T, Stoev T,Torniyova B. [Motivation for the pro-fession activity of medical specialists.]

Asklepios. 2014 No1; 9(28):89-94. [inBulgarian]

5. Shopov D, Stoeva T, Stoev T,Torniyova B. [Professional motivationand satisfaction of nurses.] Asklepios.2014 No1; 9(28):95-99. [in Bulgarian]

6. Gavrilova D, Surcheva Zh.[Strength and Authority of the NursingProfession.] Health Management 3,2003, p. 17-19 [in Bulgarian]

7. Borisova B. [Motivation – a KeyProblem of Health Management.] Medi-cal Management and Health Policy.2014/ 2, 5-9. [in Bulgarian]

8. Stoeva T, Shopov D. [Profes-sional Career and Realization ofNurses.] Healthcare, 2014; 1:32-38.

[in Bulgarian]9. Tornyova B, Shopov D. Motiva-

tion of Medical Specialists as a Precon-dition for the Success of their Continu-ous Training. Proceedings of the Un-ion of Scientists in Stara Zagora, 2008.[in Bulgarian]

10. Shopov D, Stoeva T, Stoev T.[Motivation and Demotivation in theWork of the Medical Staff.] HealthPolicy and Management. 2014; 14(2):27-30. [in Bulgarian]

11. Shopov D, Stoev T. [Profes-sional Accomplishment and Motiva-tion of Nurses.] Nursing Activity. 2015;1:25-29 [in Bulgarian]

Along with this, the data from figure 3 alsoshow the interrelation between satisfaction and posi-tive motivation for a certain profession, given withthe response to the indicated indirect question for arepeated choice of profession. It is seen that thehigher professional satisfaction is, the higher the at-titude and positive motivation for a repeated choiceof the same nursing profession. In other words, thereis a direct correlative dependence, which is an es-sential moment in the motivation cycle, driving theprofessional activity of the nurses. The low profes-sional satisfaction with the profession is an actualdemotivating factor in the nursing activity.

This shows that it is always expedient theanalysis of the professional motivation to be car-ried out in direct relation to the level and factorsof professional satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONMotivation is a complex combination of men-

tal processes which form a specific phenomenon –the motivation cycle. It combines three basic ele-ments: needs, motives and satisfaction.

The present article analyses the interrelationbetween professional motives and satisfaction ofnurses working in hospital wards. There is a directcorrelative dependence between the level of pro-fessional satisfaction and positive professional mo-tivation.

It is advisable the analysis of the professionalmotivation to be carried out in direct relation withthe level of professional satisfaction in their inter-relation and interdependence.

REFERENCES:

Please cite this article as: Stoeva T, Shopov D, Borisova B, Mihaylova V, Paskaleva T, Tornyova B. Interdependencebetween Professional Motivation and Satisfaction of the Nursing Staff. J of IMAB. 2019 Jul-Sep;25(3):2659-2662.DOI: https://doi.org/10.5272/jimab.2019253.2659

Received: 18/02/2019; Published online: 20/08/2019