Job satisfaction and perceptions of quality of patient care, collaboration and teamwork in acute care hospitals

Title. Job satisfaction and perceptions of quality of patient care, collaboration and teamwork in acute care hospitals. Aim. This paper is a report of a study conducted to compare levels of job satisfaction and perceptions of the quality of patient care, collaboration and teamwork among healthcare professionals in four acute care hospitals and to determine the factors associated with job satisfaction for physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Background. Positive inter-professional relationships improve quality of patient care and staff job satisfaction. Understanding how healthcare professionals perceive their relationships with each other, and identifying factors that affect their job satisfaction and perceptions of the quality patient care, inform quality improvements. Method. This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in four hospitals in Taiwan. Data were collected in 2007 and analysed using descriptive statistics, one-way anova with the Games-Howell post hoc test and stepwise regression analysis. Results. The survey was completed by 1475 respondent, giving a response rate of 52·2% (180 physicians, 1019 nurses and 276 other healthcare professionals). Physicians were more satisfied with their jobs (F = 26·75, P < 0·05) than either nurses or other healthcare professionals. Conversely, nurses perceived more positive collaborative relationships than did physicians or other healthcare professionals (F = 279·51, P < 0·05). Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that perceptions of quality of patient care and collaborative relationships were the most important predictors of job satisfaction for healthcare providers. Conclusion. These findings provide important clues for improving interdisciplinary collaboration and ensuring quality patient care through good job satisfaction and teamwork among healthcare professionals in acute care hospitals.