A Study on the Impact of the Work Environment of Nursing Care Workers upon Their Job Satisfaction: Focusing on the Mediating Effect of Job Enthusiasm and the Moderating Effect of Work Experience

Objectives The purpose of this study is to analyze the mediating effect of job enthusiasm in the relationship between the work environment and job satisfaction of the nursing care workers who work in long-term care homes for the elderly. Methods This study conducted a survey on 330 caregivers working at long-term care facilities for the elderly in Yeongdong-gun, and analyzed the collected questionnaire data using SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0 statistical programs. Results First, out of the working environment factors of nursing care workers at long-term care homes, all of them, namely the human environment, physical environment, reward systems, and job expertise factors, had a significant and positive impact on job enthusiasm. Second, of the work environment factors of the nursing care workers of long-term care homes, the physical environment and reward system factors had a significant and positive impact on job satisfaction. Third, the job enthusiasm of the nursing care workers at long-term care homes turned out to have a similarly significant and positive impact on job satisfaction. Fourth, in the relationship between work environment factors of nursing care workers at long-term care homes, such as the human environment, physical environment, reward system, job expertise, and job satisfaction, it was shown that, upon all of these factors, job enthusiasm had a significant mediating effect. Fifth, with regard to the groups where the work experience was less than five years and those of five years or longer, the difference between these two groups was confirmed in the paths of [reward system→job enthusiasm], [reward system→job satisfaction], [job enthusiasm→job satisfaction]. Conclusions This study is significant in that it identified the working environment of nursing care workers and sought specific action plans to increase job satisfaction by increasing job enthusiasm.