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Which group of healthcare professionals are the most satisfied with their jobs, and what determines workplace bliss or woe? Some recent studies have attempted to answer these questions, and here are their findings: Measuring Job SatisfactionMost healthcare professionals report moderate to high levels of job satisfaction. A 2002 study of US physicians from 33 different specialties found that more than 70% of respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with their careers. Similarly, the Canadian 2007 National Physician Survey found that 75% of all physicians were generally satisfied with their professional lives. However, job satisfaction rates were generally lower among nurses. A 2005 survey of 76,000 American RNs found that 63% of nurses were satisfied with their current job. A 2005 Canadian survey of 19,000 nurses found that 12% of nurses were dissatisfied with their job, compared to a dissatisfaction rate of 8% among all Canadian workers. A 2002 survey of nursing and allied health graduates from a mid-Atlantic university found that 85% to 98% of allied healthcare workers were satisfied with their current job. Furthermore, most reported that they would choose the same career if they could start over again. Factors that Affect Job Satisfaction and DissatisfactionHere's a look at some of the most important factors that contribute to job satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and how healthcare professionals fare in each category. • Income is rarely the
most important factor in determining job satisfaction.
A meta-analysis
of 31 nursing job satisfaction studies found that
pay was not one of the top three determinants of
job satisfaction. Instead, job stress, nurse-physician
collaboration, and autonomy were more important.
The previously mentioned survey
of nurses and allied health professionals also found
that salary played a relatively minor role in determining
job satisfaction. However, not feeling adequately compensated for one's work can be a major contributor to job dissatisfaction. American physicians who earned less than $100,000 a year were more likely to be dissatisfied with their career. The American nurses survey found that only 40% of respondents were satisfied with their pay, which was the lowest satisfaction rate out of all the job variables that were measured. • High workload and long
hours are major causes of job dissatisfaction. The
2001
American Nursing Association Staffing Survey
reported that 78% of nurses skipped meals and breaks
to care for patients. Eighty-two percent of American
RNs worked overtime, and most respondents said
that overtime hours had increased in the past year. Meanwhile, 67% of Canadian nurses often felt that they had too much work for one person, 45% said they did not have enough time to perform their job duties, 54% said that they arrived early or stayed late to complete their work, and 62% reported working through breaks. About three in 10 Canadian nurses worked paid overtime, and nearly half worked unpaid overtime hours. Such high workloads often lead to stress, burnout, and physical ailments. Canadian nurses had higher rates of depression, back problems, and arthritis than the general population, and were more likely to require time off for health reasons. Stress and burnout are also common among physicians. Quoting from the Hippocrates Study, a 2001 paper reported that 40% of American physicians felt stressed and burned out. • Good working relationships
among staff, colleagues, and supervisors are essential
to a healthy work environment. American
RNs were most satisfied with their interactions
with other RNs (67%), followed by interactions with
doctors (58%), nurse managers (54%), and nurse administrators
(54%). Canadian
nurses were less satisfied with their peers,
and 45% of female nurses and 51% of male nurses reported
low levels of coworker support. However, 87% of Canadian
nurses said they had good working relationships with
physicians, and 74% said that the supervisory staff
was supportive.
• Having autonomy and control
over workplace decisions is crucial to employee satisfaction.
Canadian
nurses reported a high degree of autonomy in
their work. On average, nurses rated their level
of autonomy as 10.4 out of a total possible score
of 15. More than 70% of respondents agreed with the
statements "nursing controls its own practice" and
"immediate supervisor backs up nursing staff in decision-making,
even in conflicts with physicians." More than 80%
of respondents agreed with the statements "a nurse
does not have to do things against nursing judgment"
and "nurses make important patient care and work
decisions." • In the United States,
managed care has limited the autonomy of healthcare
practitioners and increased job dissatisfaction.
The 2002 study
reported that physicians who received a high percentage
of revenue from managed care were more likely to
be dissatisfied with their jobs, and the 2002 study
of nursing and allied health alumni found that both
groups were dissatisfied with insurance companies'
control over healthcare.
• Achieving a healthy balance
between one's professional and personal life is important
to job satisfaction, and this was recently confirmed
by a 2006
study of American RNs and a 2007 study
of Canadian physicians. * * * * * Despite the many challenges healthcare professionals encounter on the job, most are satisfied with their work and would happily choose the same career again. Many of the reasons healthcare professionals love their work cannot be easily quantified, such as professional pride, opportunities for growth, and the satisfaction that comes from making a real difference in the world.
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