Cognitive Control/Flexibility, Social Isolation, and Intrinsic Job Satisfaction of Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Abstract

Although cognitive control and flexibility have been examined in the past, this study examines their relationship in a stressful working environment, focusing on intrinsic job satisfaction using cognitive behavioral theory as a framework. This study examined cognitive factors (cognitive control and cognitive flexibility) and emotional state (intrinsic job satisfaction) while assessing the mediating role of social isolation, an external work environment variable. The study focused on intrinsic job satisfaction with extrinsic job satisfaction as a covariate. A cross-sectional questionnaire method was used. Two hundred and ten nurses from twelve intensive care units participated. Model one examined cognitive control while model two examined cognitive flexibility, accounting for 32% and 38% of the variance in intrinsic job satisfaction, respectively. Model one accounted for 13% of the variance in social isolation through cognitive control and extrinsic job satisfaction while model two accounted for approximately 14.91% of the variance in social isolation through cognitive flexibility and extrinsic job satisfaction. Combining the two models accounted for 17% of the variance in social isolation and 37.4% of the variation in intrinsic job satisfaction. The results emphasize the importance of training nurses in cognitive control and flexibility to increase intrinsic job satisfaction.

Keywords

• cognitive control
• cognitive flexibility
• social isolation
• job satisfaction
• intensive care unit nurses