JOB STRESS AND JOB SATISFACTION AMONG HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

Background: Health care professionals comprise an important group of individuals who are affected by emotional states and stress because of their unique work environment. The employee’s stress level and satisfaction with his/her job are primary factors that influence the quality of work and individual productivity. Objective: To measure the prevalence of job stress and job satisfaction among healthcare professionals and to identify their predictors. Research Design: A multi-center cross-sectional survey. Subjects: Physicians, residents, nurses, and radiologists. Measures: Job stress and satisfaction were measured using 25 specific questions about sources of work-related stress and 17 questions about sources of workrelated satisfaction. Results: A total of 626 (54%) participants completed the survey. The sample was comprised of 19.5% Saudi nationals, and the remainder, foreign workers of a wide range of nationalities. The overall prevalence of job stress and job satisfaction was 66.2% and 97.0%, respectively. The use of a multivariate logistic regression model identified statistically significant independent predictors of stress (e.g., working on weekends, feeling under pressure to meet deadlines, being of Saudi nationality, and being exposed to a stressful event outside of work within a year. Conclusion:The overall prevalence of job stress is moderately higher than reported in other published studies, yet there was a very high rate of job satisfaction; one that was much higher than reported in other studies. We recommend that future research focus on methods of stress reduction and investigate the impact of high stress on staff performance.