The Role of Role Strain and Physician Authority in the Relationship Between Collaboration Orientation and Nurses' Job Satisfaction.

aimThis study examined the psychological mechanism and structural boundary conditions linking nurses' collaboration orientation with job satisfaction.

backgroundNurses may value collaboration even when clinical structures limit how those values are enacted. Yet, existing research has largely focused on observable nurse-physician collaboration rather than the role-related process through which collaborative values translate into job satisfaction. The job demands-resources model offers a useful lens, as nurses' work attitudes are shaped by the interplay among personal resources, role-related demands, and contextual resources. Accordingly, perceived role strain was examined as a mediating job demand and perceived physician authority as a contextual resource.

methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted with 566 full-time registered nurses from tertiary and secondary hospitals in Beijing, China. All constructs were measured using scales adopted from previous studies. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling with 5000 bootstrap resamples to estimate direct, indirect, and moderating associations.

resultsThe baseline model indicated that collaboration orientation was positively associated with job satisfaction (β = 0.186, p < 0.001). Perceived role strain statistically mediated this association (indirect effect = 0.182, 95% CI [0.134, 0.232]). Perceived physician authority weakened the negative association between collaboration orientation and perceived role strain (β = 0.096, p = 0.034). The conditional indirect association between collaboration orientation and job satisfaction through perceived role strain was significantly smaller at high levels of perceived authority than at low levels of perceived physician authority (effect

conclusionCollaboration orientation was associated with higher job satisfaction, and this association was statistically mediated by lower perceived role strain. This indirect association was weaker when perceived physician authority was high, revealing that hierarchical authority structures may condition how collaborative values are related to nurses' role experiences and job attitudes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers and hospital administrators may address role strain by clarifying responsibility boundaries, decision pathways, and the scope of nursing discretion. Structured nurse-physician communication and formal channels for discussing unclear role expectations may provide greater role clarity while preserving nurses' professional voice and participation.