JOB SATISFACTION AS A PREDICTOR OF INTENT TO STAY AMONG CONTRACTUAL NURSES IN GOVERNMENT HEALTH FACILITIES IN SULU: BASIS FOR WORKFORCE RETENTION STRATEGIES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/Keywords:
job satisfaction, intent to stay, contractual nurses, government health facilities, workforce retention, SuluAbstract
The retention of nurses in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas is a persistent challenge for health systems, and contractual employment in Philippine government health facilities may weaken nurses’ intention to remain in their posts. This study examined job satisfaction as a predictor of intent to stay among contractual nurses in government health facilities in Sulu and used the findings as a basis for developing workforce retention strategies. A quantitative, cross-sectional, predictive-correlational research design was employed. Using purposive sampling, 101 contractual nurses who had rendered at least six months of service in selected government health facilities participated. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire measuring demographic and professional characteristics, job satisfaction in terms of Pay and Benefits, Supervision, Nature of Work, and Operating Conditions, and overall intent to stay. Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and simple linear regression were used to analyze the data at the .05 level of significance. The respondents were predominantly young, female, and employed under Job Order arrangements, and 70.30% reported a monthly gross salary below ₱15,000. Overall job satisfaction was moderate (M = 4.13, SD = 0.58). Nature of Work (M = 4.99) and Supervision (M = 4.44) were rated high, whereas Operating Conditions (M = 3.72) and Pay and Benefits (M = 3.63) were rated moderate. Overall intent to stay was also moderate (M = 3.93, SD = 0.90). Job satisfaction had a moderate, positive, and statistically significant relationship with intent to stay, r = .463, p < .001, and significantly predicted intent to stay, F(1, 99) = 26.99, p < .001, explaining 21.42% of its variance (R² = .214). Contractual nurses generally valued the meaningful and interpersonal aspects of their work, but concerns involving compensation, workload, organizational procedures, and supervisory support limited their overall satisfaction. Improving these employment conditions may strengthen nurses’ intention to remain. Workforce retention strategies focusing on workload management, compensation and benefits, supportive supervision, career development, organizational processes, professional recognition, and retention monitoring are proposed.
References
Abad, P. J., Hall, J. J., & West, S. (2020). Factors affecting the retention of the health workforce in rural and remote areas of the Philippines: A systematic review. Philippine Journal of Health Research and Development, 24(1), 45–58.
Abdullah, M. F., & Macarambon, S. (2024). Quiet quitting and organizational climate: A study of nursing personnel in post-conflict Marawi City. Bangsamoro Journal of Nursing and Health Sciences, 2(1), 15–29.
Al-Mugheel, B. A., Bayuo, J., Al-Nemer, A. F., & Al-Mugheel, M. A. (2022). Factors influencing nurse retention in public and private hospitals: A comparative study. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(7), 3211–3220. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13745
Apalisok, A., Noriega, M., & Pingol, Y. (2017). A descriptive research on the status of employability of nurses in private hospitals. Ascendens Asia Journal of Multidisciplinary Research Abstracts.
Brewer, C. S., Kovner, C. T., Greene, W., & Cheng, Y. (2009). Predictors of RNs’ intent to work and work decisions 1 year later in a U.S. national sample. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46(7), 940–956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2008.02.003
Civil Service Commission. (2017). Revised interim guideline on contractual and job order workers in the government (Resolution No. 1701003). Government of the Philippines.
Commission on Audit, Department of Budget and Management, & Civil Service Commission. (2017). Rules and regulations governing Contract of Service and Job Order workers in the government (Joint Circular No. 1, s. 2017). Government of the Philippines.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Dillon, M., Mills, J., Hanson, L., Wright, H., & Mnatzaganian, G. (2026). Region of employment and intention to remain practicing or exit the profession among Australian nurses: A cross-sectional analysis. Journal of Nursing Management, 2026, Article 4278991. https://doi.org/10.1155/jonm/4278991
Dones, L. B. (2016). The work environment of nurses in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Nursing, 86(1), 34–45.
Ellao, J. A. (2015, June 17). Contractualization in public hospitals: A burden to health workers, a threat to patients. Bulatlat. https://www.bulatlat.com/2015/06/17/contractualization-in-public-hospitals-a-burden-health-workers-a-threat-to-patients/
Geducos, A. (2025, August 2). Sulu Province moved to Region IX; Marcos ensures uninterrupted service. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2025/08/02/sulu-province-moved-to-region-ix-marcos-ensures-uninterrupted-service
Guillermo, E., Janairo, M., Villaflores, C., Delano, J., Recto, M., Almajo, J., & Gonzalez, A. (2025). Job satisfaction and intention to stay among health workers in selected government hospitals in Occidental Mindoro. AKA Journal, 6(1). https://journal.omsc.edu.ph/index.php/aka-journal/article/view/61
Hanum, F., Hu, W., Wei, L., Zhou, E., & Ma, Z. (2022). Professional identity, job satisfaction, and intention to stay among clinical nurses during COVID-19 pandemic: A mediation analysis. Japan Journal of Nursing Science, 19(2), Article e12445. https://doi.org/10.1111/jjns.12445
Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., & Snyderman, B. B. (1959). The motivation to work (2nd ed.). John Wiley & Sons.
Howell, D. C. (2013). Statistical methods for psychology (8th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Judge, T. A., & Klinger, R. (2008). Job satisfaction: Subjective well-being at work. In M. Eid & R. J. Larsen (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 393–413). Guilford Press.
Labrague, L. J., Los Baños, R. F., Santos, K. L., & Falguera, P. H. (2022). Job satisfaction and turnover intentions among Filipino nurses: The mediating role of organizational commitment. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(4), 982–991. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13543
Mirzaei, A., Imashi, R., Saghezchi, R., Jafari, M., & Nemati-Vakilabad, R. (2024). The relationship of perceived nurse manager competence with job satisfaction and turnover intention among clinical nurses: An analytical cross-sectional study. BMC Nursing, 23(1), Article 220. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-024-02203-5
Ombay, G. (2022, September 29). DOH: Philippine hospitals, private and public, need 106,000 nurses. GMA News Online. https://gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/846445/doh-philippine-hospitals-private-and-public-need-106-000-nurses/story
Philippine News Agency. (2025, January 12). Gatchalian seeks permanent posts for long-time contractual workers. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1241567
Price, J. L., & Mueller, C. W. (1981). Professional turnover: The case of nurses. Spectrum Publications.
Price, J. L., & Mueller, C. W. (1986). Absenteeism and turnover of hospital employees. JAI Press.
Purdy, E., & Popan, E. (2023). Descriptive research. EBSCO Information Services. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/descriptive-research
Quismorio, E. (2023, September 6). Fill up 4,000 gov’t hospital plantilla posts with contractual nurses, Castro tells DOH. Manila Bulletin. https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/6/fill-up-4-000-gov-t-hospital-plantilla-posts-with-contractual-nurses-castro-tells-doh
Rosales, R. A., Labrague, L. J., & Rosales, G. L. (2013). Nurses’ job satisfaction and burnout: Is there a connection? International Journal of Advanced Nursing Studies, 2(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.14419/ijans.v2i1.583
Sampang, D. (2024, September 4). Number of unfilled DOH positions still huge at 16,230. Inquirer.net. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1979982/castro-number-of-unfilled-doh-positions-still-huge-at-16230
Sapar, L., & Oducado, R. M. (2021). Revisiting job satisfaction and intention to stay: A cross-sectional study among hospital nurses in the Philippines. Nurse Media: Journal of Nursing, 11(2), 133–143. https://ejournal.undip.ac.id/index.php/medianers/article/view/36557
Second Congressional Commission on Education. (2026). The Philippine graduate workforce: National development plan for health and education sectors. House of Representatives and Senate of the Philippines.
Sharplin, G., Clarke, J., & Eckert, M. (2025). Assessing the global sustainability of the nursing workforce: A survey of national nurses’ association presidents within the International Council of Nurses. International Council of Nurses. https://www.icn.ch/sites/default/files/2025-04/ICN_NNA-Presidents-Survey-Report_EN_FINAL.pdf
Spector, P. E. (1985). Measurement of human service staff satisfaction: Development of the Job Satisfaction Survey. American Journal of Community Psychology, 13(6), 693–713. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00929796
Spector, P. E. (1997). Job satisfaction: Application, assessment, causes, and consequences. SAGE Publications.
Spector, P. E. (2025). Job satisfaction: An evidence-based guide for practitioners and researchers. Routledge.
Sreekumar, D. (2023, August 28). What is research methodology? Paperpal. https://www.paperpal.com/blog/academic-writing-guides/what-is-research-methodology
Sulu Provincial Office. (2022). Annual provincial health report: Workforce distribution and healthcare challenges in the Sulu archipelago. Ministry of Health–BARMM.
Unruh, L. Y., & Zhang, N. J. (2014). Newly licensed registered nurse job turnover and turnover intent. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 30(5), 220–230. https://doi.org/10.1097/nnd.0000000000000079
UP College of Law. (2025). Strengthening workers’ rights and security of tenure: Proceedings of the WEP 2025 round table discussions on labor law reforms. https://law.upd.edu.ph/wep-2025-round-table-discussions/
World Health Organization. (2025). State of the world’s nursing 2025: Investing in education, jobs, leadership and service delivery. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240110236
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal for the Advancement of Sustainable Development Goals
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
License Statement
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)
All articles published in the Journal for the Advancement of Sustainable Development Goals (JASDG) are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Under this license, users are free to:
-
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format;
-
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, including commercial use;
provided that appropriate credit is given to the original author(s) and the source, a link to the license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as the license terms are followed.
Authors retain copyright of their work while granting JASDG the right of first publication. The published work remains freely available to readers and may be used, distributed, reproduced, and adapted by others in accordance with the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.
For more information about this license, please visit:
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2026 The Author(s).
Articles published in the Journal for the Advancement of Sustainable Development Goals (JASDG) are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction, and adaptation in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are properly credited.
