School counsellors’ wellbeing in the Global South: the importance of professional roles

BackgroundThe complex interrelationships between professional identity, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intention among general practitioners (GPs) are insufficiently understood in China. This study aimed to investigate the interrelationships between professional identity, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intention in China, and to examine whether job satisfaction and burnout played mediating roles between professional identity and turnover intention.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted between October, 2017 and February, 2018 in China. The participants were selected using a multistage stratified random sampling method. Data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire from 3236 GPs (response rate, 99.8%) working in community health institutions in China. Professional identity was measured by the 13 items scale, and job satisfaction scale with an 11-item designed by Shi et al. was employed. Burnout was measured using a 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, and turnover intention was measured with a 6 items scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated and groups’ differences were estimated Student’s t-test and analyses of variance. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to assess the degree of correlation among different dimensions of professional identity, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intention. Structural equation modeling analysis was applied to examine the interrelationships among these study variables based on the hypothesized model.ResultsThe proposed model achieved a good model fit. Job satisfaction had a direct negative effect on turnover intention (β = − 0.38, P < 0.001), burnout had a direct positive effect on turnover intention (β = 0.37, P < 0.001), and professional identity had an indirect negative effect on turnover intention through the mediating effect of job satisfaction and burnout.ConclusionsOur study elucidated the pathways linking professional identity, job satisfaction, and burnout to turnover intention of GPs. This revealed that turnover intention was significantly affected by job satisfaction and burnout, and the effects of professional identity on turnover intention can be mediated by job satisfaction and burnout.

The world is faced with challenges due to a growing aging population and the increasing burden of chronic disease. The acute shortage of nurses and high turnover rates, particularly among novice nurses, are of great concern in many countries. Several studies have shown that turnover intention among nurses is influenced by professional identity and job satisfaction. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have examined this issue in the context of novice nurses. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the relationship between professional identity, job satisfaction, and turnover intention among novice nurses in China. From March 18 to April 23, 2022, a cross-sectional survey was carried out involving 532 novice nurses recruited from four public hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. Among the sample, 526 questionnaires were retrieved, with an effective response rate of 98.87%. The mean scores for turnover intention, professional identity, and job satisfaction were 13.02 ± 3.94, 36.17 ± 7.98, and 111.02 ± 21.46, respectively. High turnover intention was observed among novice nurses, of whom 54.37% (286/526) had high or very high turnover intention. Professional identity and job satisfaction among novice nurses were moderate. In terms of demographic characteristics, "Whether living with relatives" and "Monthly income" had a statistically significant impact on the turnover intention of novice nurses (P < .05). Both professional identity (r = -0.459) and job satisfaction (r = -0.517) were significantly and moderately negatively correlated with turnover intention (P < .01). The results of the multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that variables including "Whether living with relatives," "Professional identity," "Control and responsibility for work," and "Benefits" jointly accounted for 29.9% of the variance related to turnover intention among novice nurses. "Whether living with relatives," "Professional identity," "Control and responsibility for work," and "Benefits" were highly predictive of turnover intention levels among novice nurses. Hence, potential predictors of turnover intention should be considered, and intervention research should be conducted to reduce the level of turnover intention among novice nurses.

With the outbreak of novel coronavirus in 2019, most universities changed from traditional offline teaching to online teaching, which brought about a large amount of problems, including teachers’ physical and mental problems. Because of teaching on the computer screen for a long period of time, the teacher lacks communication and can act casually. With long-term accumulation, the problem of teachers’ job burnout has become increasingly serious. The main purpose of this study was to examine the influence of professional identity on job burnout during the period of the novel coronavirus. At the same time, this study also discussed the moderating effect of job satisfaction on professional identity and job burnout, and its relationship between job satisfaction and job burnout. During the peak period of the COVID-19 epidemic, we conducted an online survey—483 Chinese university teachers with online teaching experience completed the Teacher Professional Identity Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale, and Job Burnout Scale. The results of this study found professional identity and job satisfaction of university teachers to be significantly negative predictors of job burnout, with job satisfaction playing a moderating role between professional identity and job burnout. This study also confirmed that professional identity and job satisfaction are important factors affecting job burnout of university teachers. Therefore, this study proposed that schools should adopt more effective strategies to improve university teachers’ professional identity and job satisfaction in order to reduce the practical problems of job burnout, ensure the effectiveness of online teaching, and maintain the sustainable development during the epidemic.

Nonphysician faculty are common in academic family medicine departments and residencies. The objective of this study was to examine whether these nonphysician faculty have adopted a professional identity of family medicine and how that relates to job satisfaction and organizational commitment. In 2017, a survey of nonphysician members of the Council of Academic Family Medicine organizations in the United States and Canada was conducted. The overall response rate for the survey was 52.6% (526/1,001). The current analysis was conducted on the individuals who met all of the inclusion criteria and had complete data on all investigated scales (n=360). Scales on professional identity, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment were examined along with age, gender, race, and professional characteristics. The respondents indicated a professional identity with family medicine, commitment to their organization, and high job satisfaction. There was a lack of association with gender for these primary variables. Professional identity had a moderately positive relationship with years in family medicine (r=0.23). Professional identity had a moderately strong positive relationship with both commitment to the organization (r=0.41), and job satisfaction (r=0.43). In multivariate regressions, race/ethnicity was associated with both professional identity (P&lt;.05) and job satisfaction (P&lt;.05), with nonwhites having lower professional identity and job satisfaction. The results of this survey of nonphysician faculty in family medicine indicated a high professional identity to family medicine, high job satisfaction, and commitment to their organization. Strategies including cultural competency training may serve as important tools to avoid dissatisfaction or turnover among this key workforce element in academic family medicine.

Background Job satisfaction depicts how an individual is satisfied with the job. The more satisfied nurses are within their job, the more fulfilled they are supposed to be. Professional identity development is one of the main concerns of nursing education and practice. Nurses are considered to be the vertebral column of any healthcare organization. The WHO believes that mental health nurses, as part of a multidisciplinary team, are especially relevant in the management of mental illness. Aim The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between professional identity and job satisfaction among psychiatric nurses. Methods This was a descriptive correlation research design. The research questions for this study were as follows: (a) How do psychiatric nurses perceive their professional identity? (b) What is the level of professional job satisfaction of psychiatric nurses? (c)What are the relationships between perceptions of professional identity and job satisfaction among psychiatric nurses? This study was conducted at Abbassya Mental Health Hospital in Egypt. A convenient sample of 50 nurses was used for assessment. Tool 1: The background data sheet included age, sex, educational level, position, and years of experience of nurses. Tool 2, Nurses’ professional identity tool: This tool was designed and validated by Kabeel to determine the level of nurses’ professional identity. Tool 3: Mueller and McCloskey Satisfaction Scale as developed and advanced by Ellenbecker and colleagues. Results A positive and significant correlation was determined between nurses’ job satisfaction and professional identities. Conclusion Professional identity is a factor affecting job satisfaction. Recommendations The nurse’s professional identity should be the subject of workshops, in-service programs, and other nursing education activities in various work settings, and in nursing schools and faculties’ curricula. Replication of this study is recommended on other specialty nurses in a large sample size.

This study aims to examine the relationship between professional identity and job satisfaction and their impact on intention to stay among clinical nurses in China during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from April 30 to May 25, 2021, in China. Data were collected using professional identity, job satisfaction, and intention to stay questionnaires from 1425 clinical nurses. A single mediation analysis was utilized to test the interrelationship among the variables, and the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist as a reporting guide. Nurses indicated a medium level of professional identity, job satisfaction, and intention to stay, with mean scores of 3.85, 3.25, and 3.47, respectively. The professional identity displayed positive indirect effect on nurses' intention to stay through job satisfaction (indirect effect=0.498, 95% CI [0.439, 0.558]). Cultivating professional identity among nurses can increase their job satisfaction and ultimately enhance the intention to stay in the nursing profession. However, this study also suggests paying more attention to job satisfaction to keep nursing retention. These may be helpful to retain the nursing workforce.

In the literature concerning Chinese student teachers, there is little research regarding the relationship between job satisfaction, professional identity, and burnout. In the current study, 267 student teachers (aged 20 to 25 years, female 58.8%) from Western China completed surveys assessing the student teachers’ professional identity, job satisfaction, and burnout. Using structural equation models, results indicated that professional identity and job satisfaction could predict burnout, and the effect of professional identity on burnout was partially mediated by job satisfaction. Moreover, job satisfaction could significantly moderate the relationship between professional identity and burnout. These findings imply that professional identity and job satisfaction are critical indicators of burnout, and can be used in basic intervention strategies that decrease burnout among Western Chinese student teachers.

Although there are few studies on professional self-esteem and professional identity, professional self-esteem can be considered a crucial and influential factor in enhancing the professional identity of Saudi kindergarten teachers. The current study aimed to investigate the mediating role of professional self-esteem between professional identity and job satisfaction among Saudi early childhood teachers. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The sample of the study consists of 530 volunteer teachers. Questionnaires were used to analyze data. The results indicate that: (1) statistically significant positive correlation was detected between professional self-esteem and professional identity; (2) statistically significant positive correlation was detected between professional self-esteem and job satisfaction; and (3) professional self-esteem played a mediating role in the relationship between professional identity and job satisfaction among Saudi early childhood teachers. Professional self-esteem determined teachers’ professional identity. Therefore, teachers’ professional self-esteem should be considered, as failure to pay careful attention to teachers’ professional self-esteem may lead to a lower level of professional identity. In this context, the current study contributes to expanding our knowledge of the literature related to early childhood teachers.

Occupational therapists employed within eating disorder services provide unique and valuable interventions. However, existing literature suggests that occupational therapists in this area may be at substantial risk of experiencing poor work-related wellbeing (e.g., high levels of burnout and low levels of job satisfaction). Despite these risks, no previous studies have explored the work-related experiences of occupational therapists in this specialist area of practice. To explore challenges faced by occupational therapists working in eating disorders, their sense of professional identity, burnout and job satisfaction. A mixed methods sequential design was adopted. Australian occupational therapists working in eating disorder services were invited to complete a survey exploring job challenges, burnout, professional identity and job satisfaction. Follow-up interviews were conducted and analysed using Braun and Clarke's method of thematic analysis. Ten occupational therapists (representing approximately 50% of the workforce in this specialist area in Australia) participated. There were strong correlations between challenges from the client group and exhaustion (a component of burnout), and moderate correlations between stronger professional identity, pressure to adopt generalist approaches and exhaustion. Qualitative analysis suggested job challenges arose from structural, personal and client-related sources, especially underutilisation of occupational therapy and pressure to adopt non-occupation-based practices. Participants reported using strategies such as maintaining an occupation focus, supervision, professional interactions and maintaining work-life balance to mitigate job stress. Occupational therapists working in eating disorders do face challenges. These are particularly related to the lack of evidence base for occupational therapy in this area. Future research should focus on developing further evidence for occupational therapy in eating disorders and designing outcome measures that capture improvements in daily functioning. These efforts would strengthen the role of occupational therapy and may reduce the risk of burnout and improve job satisfaction and sense of professional identity.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction, professional identity and intention to leave the profession among nurses in Turkey. Although there are many studies on job satisfaction among nurses in Turkey, there is a gap in the literature in relation to professional identity, particularly for intentions to leave the profession. This cross-sectional, descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 2122 nurses from Turkey. A positive and significant correlation was determined between the nurses' job satisfaction and professional identities. It was found that 15.5% of the nurses intended to leave their profession. Intention to leave the profession was greater among the nurses with inadequate professional identity development and low job satisfaction. Professional identity is a factor affecting job satisfaction. Both professional identity and job satisfaction are important factors affecting nurses' intention leaving the profession. Given that professional identity and job satisfaction affect intention to leave the profession and professional identity affects job satisfaction, nurse managers who are mainly responsible for the quality of nursing care should develop strategies that support nurses' professional identity and increase their job satisfaction if they are to prevent nurses from leaving the profession.

School counsellors with a strong professional identity have a stronger sense of purpose, better role clarity, and greater job satisfaction. However, the factors that shape professional identity, particularly the role played by school leaders, remain underexplored. In this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study, we investigated the relationship between supportive leadership practices and the professional identity of school counsellors. Using Self-Determination Theory as the theoretical framework, we surveyed 168 counsellors and interviewed 13 counsellors in the Philippines. Quantitative results revealed that autonomy-supportive leadership was significantly associated with a stronger professional identity. Qualitative findings showed the potential underlying mechanisms: counsellors with autonomy-supportive principals felt understood, had a voice in decision-making, and felt empowered to take on leadership roles. Competence support showed no significant impact, while relatedness support had mixed associations with professional identity. This study is novel in applying Self-Determination Theory as a framework to understand the role of leadership practices in school counsellors’ professional identity. The findings hold implications for leadership practices that promote professional growth among counsellors and the effectiveness of school counselling.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected nursing, as nurses are crucial in providing healthcare services. Understanding the factors influencing nurse retention is essential for maintaining a strong and long-lasting workforce because nurse retention is becoming increasingly complex. This study aimed to investigate the influence of professional identity and job satisfaction on the intention to remain employed while also evaluating the levels of professional identity, job satisfaction, and intention to stay among paediatric nurses amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This correlational and descriptive study included a stratified sample of 257 paediatric nurses and was guided by the STROBE checklist. Data were collected through valid and reliable questionnaires, which included a nurses' professional identity scale, job satisfaction survey, intention to stay scale, and a demographic questionnaire. Data collection was conducted from January to April 2022. The study was approved by the ethical research committee at the Nursing Faculty - Mansoura University, ensuring adherence to the Helsinki Declaration. The paediatric nurses reported elevated professional identity, moderate job satisfaction, and moderate intention to stay employed with mean scores of 80.35 ± 13.22, 113.70 ± 19.58, and 8.40 ± 3.55, respectively. Multiple regression explained 13.0% of the variation in paediatric nurses' intention to remain employed (F = 18.50, p < 0.001). Professional identity positively correlated with the intention to stay (β = 2.69, p = 0.008). Job satisfaction also had a positive relationship with the intention to stay (β = 3.49, p < 0.001). Healthcare managers should focus on professional identity strategies such as supportive work environments, growth opportunities, and valuing paediatric nurses' contributions. Implementing interventions such as fair compensation, support, and rewards can enhance paediatric nurses' retention and quality of patient care.

Health inspectors are part of the public health workforce in China, and its shortage has been identified as an urgent priority that should be addressed. Turnover is one of the main contributors to the shortage problem. This research assessed the influence of professional identity, job satisfaction and work engagement on turnover intention of township health inspectors and explored the intermediary effect of job satisfaction and work engagement between professional identity and turnover intention among township health inspectors in China. Data were collected from 2426 township health inspectors in Sichuan Province, China. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypothesized relationship among the variables. Results showed that a total of 11.3% of participants had a high turnover intention and 34.0% of participants had a medium turnover intention. Job satisfaction had a direct negative effect on turnover intention (β = −0.38, p < 0.001), work engagement had a direct negative effect on turnover intention (β = −0.13, p < 0.001), and professional identity had an indirect negative effect on turnover intention through the mediating effect of job satisfaction and work engagement. Our results strongly confirmed that professional identity, job satisfaction and work engagement were strong predicators of turnover intention. According to the results, desirable work environment, quality facilities, fair compensation and adequate advancement opportunities should be emphasized to improve job satisfaction. The turnover intention of health inspectors could be reduced through improving professional identity, enhancing job satisfaction and work engagement.

Amid the rapid development of higher education in China and the increasingly fierce competition among colleges, improving teachers&amp;rsquo; job satisfaction has become a critical criterion for ensuring the sustainable development of newly established undergraduate institutions and meeting the growing demand for talent cultivation. In this study I explores the impact of professional identity and work engagement on job satisfaction among teachers of different genders and ages. Based on conservation of resources theory, I utilized multiple regression analysis to investigate 637 university teachers from five newly established undergraduate institutions in Hebei Province, China. The results indicate significant differences in professional identity, job satisfaction, and work engagement among teachers of different genders and ages, with female teachers scoring higher than male teachers, and older teachers scoring higher than younger teachers. Professional identity has a significantly positive effect on job satisfaction and work engagement. Additionally, work engagement plays a partial mediating role between professional identity and job satisfaction among teachers at newly established undergraduate institutions.

This study introduces the Azerbaijani adaptation of the Professional Identity Scale for Counselors (PISC), exploring its psychometric properties among 206 school counselors in Azerbaijan. Utilizing Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), the scale's original four-dimensional structure was validated, aligning closely with its intended design. Reliability analyses across both subscales and the overall scale demonstrated high levels of consistency, underscoring the tool's robustness. Criterion-related validity was established through meaningful correlations with mental well-being, job satisfaction, and psychological distress, aligning with anticipated directions. Notably, psychological distress was found to mediate the relationships between professional identity and both mental well-being and job satisfaction, highlighting the complex interplay between professional identity, psychological health, and workplace satisfaction among counselors. This study not only confirms the reliability and validity of the Azerbaijani PISC but also sheds light on significant associations that underscore the importance of professional identity in the mental health and job satisfaction of school counselors.