The Family Medical Leave Act and job satisfaction among nurses in an acute care hospital setting

Nurse Managers in acute care settings are responsible for proper staffing of nursing units and are accountable for the financial implications of over- and under-staffed units, as well as patient and staff satisfaction. One emerging factor in understaffing is use of Family Medical Leave time. The purpose of this study is to identify, describe and analyze the perceived impacts of the Family Medical Leave Act on job satisfaction among nurses in an acute care hospital setting. A quantitative approach is taken that uses survey method to gather appropriate data. Results show an overall neutral attitude to the FMLA by both nurses and nurse managers; dissatisfaction towards co-workers, but not with their job.