Job satisfaction among doctors, a multi-faceted subject studied at a tertiary care hospital in Lahore.

Khaula Atif

doi:10.12669/pjms.313.7402

Abstract

Objective:To study the level of job satisfaction among doctors serving in a tertiary care hospital in Lahore and ascertain its co-relation with multiple demographic variables which had a profound impact.Methods:This cross sectional study with non-probability purposive sampling was conducted at Combined Military Hospital, Lahore, from February 2014 to November 2014. Subjects were doctors serving in that hospital for minimum six months duration. Pre-formed questionnaires were distributed to volunteers (average filling time was 3 ½ to 7 minutes). Multiple demographic features were independent variables. Outcome variable was job satisfaction. Statistical analysis was done via descriptive statistics (SPSS 20), data expressed as mean ± standard deviation (SD).Results:Out of 263 doctors serving in hospital, 203 (77.91%) volunteered to participate; response rate by depositing the filled forms was 47.78% (97 doctors). Amongst the respondents, 10 (10.3%) doctors had below average job satisfaction, 32(33.0%), 21(21.6%), 21(21.6%) and 13(13.3%) had average, above average, well above average and outstanding job satisfaction respectively. There was significant relation between job satisfaction and age group of the doctors (p 0.025), education (p 0.015), service years (p 0.013) income per month (p<0.001). There was no significant impact of gender (p 0.540), marital status (p 0.087), number of children (p 0.153), current employment (p 0.71), nature of job (p 0.204), working hours (p 0.089), additional duties p 0.421) and socioeconomic class (p 0.104) on outcome variable.Conclusion:A significant number of doctors was found discontented with their job, which may consequently impact their yield/performance. The job satisfaction can be substantially improved if these contributory factors are aptly addressed at all tiers.

Highlights

Medicine has long been considered as one of the most sacred and well reputed professions
Out of 263 doctors serving in the hospital, 203 (77.91%) volunteered to participate in the study, while only 97 (47.78% of volunteers and 36.88% of doctors serving in the hospital) responded positively by depositing back the filled forms
This study revealed that a substantial number of doctors were not contented with their job

Summary

Introduction

Medicine has long been considered as one of the most sacred and well reputed professions. In Pakistan too, many children aspire to become doctor since their early childhood.[1] But gradually a physician’s job has lost its charm as it used to be in past. The prime reason of this attenuated job satisfaction is enormous job stress which a doctor undergoes during performance of his job. Singular stressors at job contribute immensely in abatement of attraction for this erstwhile most preferred profession. Though there is a general perception that currently doctors are adequately contented with their jobs, yet formal medical research over the

Methods

Results

Conclusion