The purpose of this exploratory study was to discern differences or similarities in the perceptions of nursing faculty in two types of baccalaureate nursing programs regarding perceived organizational climate and expressed job satisfaction. Nursing faculty from traditional generic nursing programs (BSN) were compared with nursing faculty from programs limited to registered nurse students (BRN) on these variables. The relationships between the variables were examined for both groups. The responses gathered from each group were also compared according to faculty attributes of age, highest degree earned, academic rank, employment status, and years of teaching experience.

A descriptive correlational design was selected for the research method. A population of 33 BRN faculty from eight schools, and 111 BSN faculty from nine schools in southeastern Pennsylvania participated in the study. Four instruments were administered to the subjects: (a) Faculty Data Sheet; (b) Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire Modified; (c) Job Descriptive Index; and (d) Job-in-General.

Both types of nursing program faculty demonstrated significant negative correlations between environmental disengagement and hindrance and job satisfaction. Both types of nursing program faculty demonstrated significant positive correlations between environmental esprit and thrust, and job satisfaction. The BSN group also demonstrated significant positive relationships between environmental intimacy and consideration, and job satisfaction.

When the correlations of the two program types were compared using Fisher's Z statistic, significant differences were demonstrated between the relationships of disengagement and intimacy and job satisfaction. For BRN faculties, low disengagement was very closely linked to job satisfaction and job satisfaction was not at all linked to intimacy. Intimacy was closely linked to job satisfaction for the BSN group. The two groups evidenced striking similarities in correlations between five of the seven organizational climate dimensions and job satisfaction.

BSN nursing faculty demonstrated a significant positive correlations between environmental intimacy and highest degree earned, while BRN faculty demonstrated a significant positive correlation between academic rank and job satisfaction. No other significant relationships were found to exist between faculty personal attributes and organizational climate or job satisfaction.