Abstract
The health care industry (public and private) in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, is facing high turnover rate among registered nurses (RNs) and other health care professionals (OHPs). However, despite numerous studies that have been conducted in the past to tackle this phenomenon, we still believe that the functions and the connections between quality of work life (QWL), satisfaction and retention are still not thoroughly explored in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia. The aims of this current study are to examine the effects of demographic characteristics on the QWL dimensions and satisfaction, and the relationships between the QWL dimensions and satisfaction, and between satisfaction and retention among RNs and OHPs. A model was developed to link QWL, satisfaction and retention. A sample of 360 RNs and OHPs was collected in Jeddah, one of the major cities in Saudi Arabia. Multivariate analysis of variance and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses. The results show that there is a significant difference between demographic and QWL dimensions and satisfaction. Satisfactions with personal growth and salary package were found to have significant positive impacts on overall retention. The paper provides a greater understanding of QWL, satisfaction and retention and their relationships with each other among the RNs and OHPs in public and private health care organizations in Saudi Arabia.