Job Satisfaction Among Physicians In Al-Sabah Hospital, Kuwait

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of dissatisfaction among doctors has been given considerable importance in recent years as it affects the quality of health care Objectives: The aim of the present study was to determine the level of job satisfaction among doctors working at AL-Sabah Hospital in Kuwait, identify aspects of dissatisfaction and factors that could be associated with. Methods: All sixty physicians currently working in the department of internal medicine were asked to participate. A self-administered close-ended questionnaire was used to obtain personal data and information from the physicians on various aspects of job satisfaction. It included 20 items divided into 5 aspects that are relevant to a number of job facets. A 5-point, Likert-scale was used. Analysis was carried out using Chi-square and Fisher Exact tests. Results: The response rate was 83.3%. Overall, 50% of participating physicians were generally satisfied with their job. Higher scores of satisfaction were reported among male, married, with longer experience, with higher qualification. Proportions of satisfaction with each item were presented. No significant difference could be detected according to personal factors and working conditions regarding these items except for nationality. Higher proportions of satisfied non Kuwaiti physicians were recorded regarding the freedom to use their own judgment (62.2% versus 14.4%, P = 0.004) and to do their own method to do the job (59.5 % versus 23.1%, P = 0.02), whereas only 18.9% of non-Kuwaiti physicians were satisfied with their payment as compared with 69.2% in Kuwaiti physicians (P= 0.002) Conclusion: It is urgent and necessary to improve physician working conditions and their working pattern to maintain job satisfaction. Physicians themselves, hospital administrators and the government should take the initiative to improve the working conditions in Kuwait hospitals. Larger multi-centric research about this issue is needed.

Keywords: job satisfaction - physicians - working conditions