Expectation of fairness: a turning point in the professional satisfaction of Iranian nurses

INTRODUCTION: The professional satisfaction of staff is one of the most challenging organizational concepts that can enhance the efficiency level of organizations. In a similar vein, the professional satisfaction of nurses is of considerable importance, in that, professional dissatisfaction among nurses could result in emotional detachment, depression, anger, evasion from work, and inefficacy and would negatively impact the organization’s work rate. The aim of this study was to understand Iranian nurses’ experiences of the concept of professional satisfaction. METHODS: This was a qualitative study conducted with a targeted sampling of 10 nurses (4 men and 6 women) in 2015. The data were collected through conducting in-depth interviews, and textual data were analyzed subsequently using the Qualitative Content Analysis (QCA) method. RESULTS: The findings of this study pointed to “fair conduct,” which was comprised of three sub-categories, i.e., expectation of fairness in social-professional settings, expectation of fairness in receiving professional benefits, and expectation of fairness in the area of professional interactions. CONCLUSIONS: There are various ups and downs in nursing due to the challenging nature of the profession, from the initial education at the university until retirement. According to the findings of this study, a lack of fairness in social-professional settings, a lack of fairness in receiving professional benefits, and a lack of fairness in the area of professional interactions were among the factors that have great impacts on the degree of professional dissatisfaction among nurses.