Effects of Personality and Coping Strategies on the Work Motivation of Nurses

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that motivate nurses. Data were collected from 373 nurses employed at 4 general hospitals located in Seoul, Korea. Nine research instruments were used in the formulation of a questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 18.0. The mean score of motivation was 3.49. The major influential background factors for motivation among the hospital nurses were growth needs (β=0.31, p<0.001), auto-suggesting strategies (β=0.20, p<0.001), optimism (β=0.18, p<0.001), problem solving and cognitive restructuring strategies (β=0.11, p=0.035), extroversion (β=0.10, p=0.027), and supportseeking strategies (β=0.09, p=0.036). These factors accounted for 40% of the motivation for nurses. Identifying the major factors would therefore serve as predictors to motivate nurses, and we further discuss how these findings might benefit an employer.