Job satisfaction of health workers

A 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).