Nurses' perceptions of motivational factors: a case study in a Turkish university hospital.

PURPOSE: This study investigates the perceptions of nurses regarding work motivation factors. BACKGROUND: Work motivation of nurses is of utmost importance so that patients may receive high-quality and effective nursing services as well as higher levels of care satisfaction. METHOD: This descriptive study was conducted with nurses in a university hospital in Turkey. A personal information form and the motivation factors questionnaire form were used as data collection tools. Data analysis was conducted using mean, anova, t-test, Tukey test and Cronbach's alpha coefficient. RESULT: Appreciation (mean 4.76) had the highest score among all the factors. It was also found that the respondents' perceptions regarding motivation varied significantly (P < 0.05) depending on their age, professional experience and institutional experience. No differences were found in the respondents' perceptions with respect to professional position (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results show that appreciation was perceived as the most effective factor by nurses. Furthermore, nurses' perception of the influence of motivation factors varied according to age, duration of professional experience and institutional experience. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing managers can maximise the potential of nurses by implementing appropriate motivation strategies. When developing suitable motivation strategies, they should consider age, duration of professional experience and institutional experience and monitor recent changes. It is strongly recommended that experimental studies are conducted and significant appreciation techniques analysed.