HAPPINESS AND PERSONALITY TRAITS OF CARE PROFESSIONALS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NURSES IN KERALA.

Nurses constitute as indispensable group of professionals in the health care delivery system. The quality of patient care is strongly associated with the levels of satisfaction and happiness of the nurses. Happiness, therefore, is a basic human attribute and also a crucial factor in all organizations. The present study delineates the level of happiness of nurses in Kerala, the south Indian state. It also explores their personality dispositions on work and happiness. A cross sectional study has been undertaken among 474 nurses working in different hospitals belonging to diverse sectors in Kerala. The study establishes a positive correlation between happiness and personality traits. It reveals sectoral, gender and generational differences in the happiness levels of nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]