Nurses’ understanding and perception of career ladder system are related to work motivation: A multicenter cross-sectional study in Aceh, Indonesia

Objective: To analyze the relationship of nurses’ understanding and perception about the career ladder system with the work motivation. Method: Using a cross-sectional design, this study was done in three hospitals in Aceh province, Indonesia. A total of 352 nurses recruited through a simple random sampling method filled out the questionnaires. Univariate analysis, Pearson correlation test, and linear regression were performed for data analysis. Results: There was a significant relationship between understanding and perception of the career ladder system and the work motivation of the nurses (p = 0.0001, α = 0.05). The most dominant factor influencing the nurses’ work motivation was the perception of the career ladder. Conclusions: Nurses having positive view on their career ladder system are more likely to have better work motivation. Education on the career ladder system in nursing can be a motivation reinforcement strategy for the nurse managers and the hospitals.