ABSTRACT
Objective The purpose of this study was to compare the differences of job satisfaction degree between contract nurses and formal nurses. Methods 350 incumbency clinical nurses were ob-tained from 3 provincial and grade three A hospitals(including nurses in internal medicine, surgical,gyne-cologic,pediatric,emergency departments and ICU). Research instruments used in this study included the self-designed demographic questionnaire and the nurses' job satisfaction scale. Results The level of the overall job satisfaction degree among contract nurses was lower than that of the formal nurses. Of all job satisfaction subscales, the scores of professional opportunities, performance and responsibility,salary and welfare, administration and hospital policy, interpersonal relationships among contract nurses were lower than those of formal nurses. But the scores of scheduling and work conditions, professional traits were higher than those of formal nurses. Conclusions It is advocated to adopt different management and incentive mechanisms to improve the job satisfaction degree for contract nurses according to the differ- ences between contract nurses and formal nurses, so that the nursing staff can be stabilized.