Job satisfaction of health workers

Abstract

AbstractA postal questionnaire was sent to a stratified random sample of 33.6% (556 out of 1655) of health workers representing five occupational groups in the Ratnapura Health Region, Sri Lanka, to discover their intensity of job satisfaction.The overall response rate was 60.3% (335 out of 556), being highest among the nurses (P < 0.01) and lowest among the medical practitioners (P < 0.001).Of the respondents, 70.0% (237 out of 335) were generally satisfied with the occupational environment. For 14.8% (26 out of 175) of the minor employees it was ‘excellent most of the time’ and for 19.6% (11 out of 56) of midwives it was extremely uncongenial. The immediate supervisor was described as ‘fair at all times’ by 50.4% (169 out of 335); being 61.7% (108 out of 175) among the minor employees and 21.4% (8 out of 37) among the nurses.Community relationships were described as ‘satisfactory’ by 46.5% (156 out of 335); this being 26.3% (88 out of 175) among the minor employees and 56.2% (18 out of 32) among the middle technical officers. The fellow workers were described as co‐operative by 34.1% (114 out of 335) and as ‘all right’ by 34.9% (117 out of 335).Thirty seven per cent (124 out of 335) declared that their personal problems were not affecting their work and 20% (67 out of 335) gave the reply as ‘absolutely no’. The latter reply was highest among the medical practitioners (28.6% or 10 out of 35) and nurses (27.0% or 10 out of 37) respectively.About the factors affecting work, more medical practitioners (57.1% or 20 out of 35) and nurses (67.6% or 25 out of 37) were concerned about staff shortages; more middle technical officers (40.6% or 13 out of 32) and minor employees (37.7% or 66 out of 175) were worried about inadequate incentives and more midwives (50.0% or 28 out of 56) and minor employees (34.8% or 61 out of 175) were not happy with their poor pay. The health department was described as ‘decidedly the best of all government departments’ by 43.3% (76 out of 175) of the minor employees and as ‘better than most other government departments’ by 56.8% (21 out of 37) of the nurses, while 54.4% (19 out of 35) of the medical practitioners failed to find any differences between the health sector and other government sectors.The majority (62.1%) have expressed job satisfaction. Respondents' views on occupational environment, immediate supervisor, community relationships, personal problems and key factors affecting work performance were very significantly diverse among the difference occupations (P < 0.001).