Objective.

To measure, at the national scope, the satisfaction of Chilean nurses working in hospitals, and establish personal and institutional determinants associated with satisfaction.

Methods.

Cross-sectional multicenter study, carried out in 40 public and private high-complexity hospitals in Chile. A self-administered survey was conducted with 1,632 clinical nurses from medical-surgical units. The variables of interest studied were: job satisfaction, personal determinants (sex, age, and postgraduate training), institutional organizational determinants (assignments and work environment, measured through the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index), and institutional structural determinants. Data analysis applied hierarchical logistic regression models, with three blocks of determinants, following nested models design.

Results. T

he study showed that 21% of the nurses is very satisfied with their job. Training opportunities and professional growth are specific work aspects with which there is a lower percentage of nurses satisfied (10% and 11.2%, respectively). Among the personal factors, male sex and age are associated positively with satisfaction (p<0.05). Among the institutional organizational factors, a good work environment was associated with greater satisfaction (p<0.001); the number of patients per nurse was associated marginally with satisfaction (p<0.05). The structural factors of hospitals were not associated with satisfaction.

Conclusion.

A low proportion of nurses working in the high-complexity hospitals studied are satisfied with their job. Planning of strategies must be prioritized, leading to improving the retention of nurses, reducing the number of patients per nurse, and promoting good work environments in hospitals.

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