Surgery resident working conditions and job satisfaction: a real-time work analysis on surgeons’ work flow

 

Tomas Būbnelis1, Šarlota Guzovijūtė1, lekt. Joana Kriščiokaitytė1

1Lietuvos sveikatos mokslų universitetas. Medicinos akademija

ABSTRACT

Introduction: job satisfaction of a doctor is one of the main conditions needed in order to apply changes and improve the quality of healthcare in healthcare system organisations [1]. The attitude towards work, responsibility, initiative, personal values and feelings of the doctor has an influence on the quality of service and patient satisfaction [5]. Good emotional state of the personnel may ensure excellent work quality [6]. The research on job satisfaction is very important in order to make a successful working plan, find out the attitude of employees towards work, assess their needs and determine present failures. The main attempt during this research is to reveal the most relevant problems of the personnel which lead to the improvement of job satisfaction [9].

The aim: to assess doctors that work in Kaunas city Hospital’s job satisfaction rate and determine the factors having influence on it.

Goals of the paper:1. To determine the level of doctor’s job satisfaction at Kaunas city Hospital’s; 2. To reveal the factors that influence doctors’ job satisfaction level; 3. To assess how working conditions affect job satisfaction of the doctors; 4. To determine the possibilities of qualification improvement and how it is related with the job satisfaction rate.

Methodology: doctors and senior residents working in Kaunas City Hospital’s were interviewed during the research (2015 – 2018). 150 questionnaires were given to them and 144 questionnaires were brought back (reply rate is 96 per cent). Respondents were given anonymous 42-question questionnaire based on the job satisfaction questionnaire of Minnesota and the assessment tool of medical personnel’s working conditions. Likert’s scale has been used for the assessment of the answers. The questionnaire data was processed and analysed by using statistical data analysis package SPSS 19.0 as well as Mac os Mountain Lion Excel program.

Conclusions:

  1. The job satisfaction level of doctors and residents working in Kaunas city Hospital’s is high. It was determined that men show greater job satisfaction than women among doctors. Doctors – residents indicated higher job satisfaction level than the ones who work in the Clinical Hospital over ten years.
  2. The factors that mostly influence doctors’ and residents’ job satisfaction were determined: independence, using diverse knowledge at work and possibility to participate in decision making process. The most significant factors that influence residents’ job satisfaction are the possibility for self-expression at work and opportunities to achieve higher qualification.
  3. The assessment of doctors’ and residents’ working conditions had direct influence to the job satisfaction level..
  4. There is a strong relation between the possibilities to achieve higher qualifications and the job satisfaction assessment rate of the doctors. The most important aspects for the doctors are: paid qualification improvement, motivation shown by the employer in order to achieve better career and constructive conditions for self-development.

Key words: job satisfaction, work conditions, surgery.