Factors associated with job satisfaction of emergency medical services professionals – a cross-sectional study
https://doi.org/10.25016/2541-7487-2022-0-3-100-110
Abstract
Relevance. Shortage of skilled emergency medical services (EMS) employees is an alarming global problem.
EMS missions have increased by fifty percent in many communities. The high EMS demand, low recruitment rate and loss of skilled employees forced EMS organization to explore ways to improve EMS employees work ability and satisfaction. To date there are no data available on EMS employees’ job satisfaction levels in Kuwait.
Intention – To establish the national EMS job satisfaction level, identify factors associated with job satisfaction and explore the relationship between job satisfaction, physical wellbeing and depressive disorder.
Methodology. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 80 Kuwait EMS employees online (15 January –15 March 2020). Job satisfaction and depressive disorders were assessed via a questionnaire based on Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) that included 21 items. Descriptive and regression analysis were performed.
Results and Discussion. The overall mean of job satisfaction was closer to moderate, 3.9 ± 1.4. The participants described the EMS profession to have moderate levels of intrinsic factors except for achievement 1.8 ± 1.5. And to have moderate levels of extrinsic factors except for pay and social factors: overall mean 2.7 ± 1 and 2.2. ± 1.5, respectively. There were three factors associated with job satisfaction: gender (p = < 0.001), career advancement (p = 0.003) and responsibilities (p = 0.005). This analysis also showed significant association between job satisfaction and EMS employees’ well-being (p = 0.001) and absence of depressive disorder (p = < 0.001).
Conclusion. There is a moderate level of job satisfaction among EMS workforce in Kuwait. Gender, career advancement and responsibilities were the main factors associated with job satisfaction. Having satisfied EMS employees with their job can eliminate depressive disorder and enhance physical well-being. Future efforts to improve EMS employee’s recruitment, work ability and work quality should reflect on these findings.
EMS missions have increased by fifty percent in many communities. The high EMS demand, low recruitment rate and loss of skilled employees forced EMS organization to explore ways to improve EMS employees work ability and satisfaction. To date there are no data available on EMS employees’ job satisfaction levels in Kuwait.
Intention – To establish the national EMS job satisfaction level, identify factors associated with job satisfaction and explore the relationship between job satisfaction, physical wellbeing and depressive disorder.
Methodology. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 80 Kuwait EMS employees online (15 January –15 March 2020). Job satisfaction and depressive disorders were assessed via a questionnaire based on Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) that included 21 items. Descriptive and regression analysis were performed.
Results and Discussion. The overall mean of job satisfaction was closer to moderate, 3.9 ± 1.4. The participants described the EMS profession to have moderate levels of intrinsic factors except for achievement 1.8 ± 1.5. And to have moderate levels of extrinsic factors except for pay and social factors: overall mean 2.7 ± 1 and 2.2. ± 1.5, respectively. There were three factors associated with job satisfaction: gender (p = < 0.001), career advancement (p = 0.003) and responsibilities (p = 0.005). This analysis also showed significant association between job satisfaction and EMS employees’ well-being (p = 0.001) and absence of depressive disorder (p = < 0.001).
Conclusion. There is a moderate level of job satisfaction among EMS workforce in Kuwait. Gender, career advancement and responsibilities were the main factors associated with job satisfaction. Having satisfied EMS employees with their job can eliminate depressive disorder and enhance physical well-being. Future efforts to improve EMS employee’s recruitment, work ability and work quality should reflect on these findings.
About the Author
Dalal Alhasan
Department of Applied Medical Sciences; College of Health Sciences; Public Authority of Applied Education and training, State of Kuwait
Kuwait
Dalal Alhasan – Assistant prof., Emergency Medical Services, MD, MSc, PhD
Kuwait
Dalal Alhasan – Assistant prof., Emergency Medical Services, MD, MSc, PhD
References
1. Aiken L.H., Sermeus W., Smith H.L. [et al.]. Patient safety, satisfaction, and quality of hospital care: Cross sectional surveys of nurses and patients in 12 countries in Europe and the United States. British medical journal. 2012; 344:e1717. DOI: 10.1136/bmj.e1717.
2. Alghamdi N.G., Khan K. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment of Paramedics-A Case Study of Saudi Arabia. Journal of computational and theoretical nanoscience.2018; 15(4):1283–1290. DOI: 10.1166/jctn.2018.7304.
3. Alharthy N., Alswaes S., Almaziad A. [et al.]. Public perception of female paramedics at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Saudi Arabia. International journal of Emergency Medicine. 2018; 11(1):57. DOI: 10.1186/s12245-018-0217-4.
4. Baier N., Roth K., Felgner S., Henschke C. Burnout and safety outcomes – A cross-sectional nationwide survey of EMS-workers in Germany. BMC Emergency Medicine. 2018; 18(1):24. DOI: 10.1186/s12873-018-0177-2.
5. Barker L.M., Nussbaum M.A. The effects of fatigue on performance in simulated nursing work. Ergonomics. 2011; 54(9):815–829. DOI: 10.1080/00140139.2011.597878.
6. Bergman E., Löyttyniemi E., Myllyntausta S. [et al.]. Factors associated with quality of life and work ability among Finnish municipal employees: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2020; 10(9):e035544. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035544.
7. Bindu H., Arora S. Impact of organisational Climate on Employee turnover intentions – An Empirical study. IPE. Journal of management. 2019; 9(1):1–13.
8. Blau G., Bentley M., Eggerichs A. [et al.]. Are there differences between male versus female Emergency Medical Services professionals on emotional labor and job satisfaction? Journal of behavioural health. 2014; 3(2):82–86. DOI: 10.5455/jbh.20140225061443.
9. Bowron J., Todd K. Job stressors and job satisfaction in a major metropolitan public EMS service. Prehospital Disaster Medicine. 1999; 14(4):236–239.
10. Brown W.E., Dawson D., Levine R. Compensation, benefits, and satisfaction: the longitudinal emergency medical technician demographic study (LEADS) project. Prehospital emergency care. 2003; 7(3):357–362. DOI: 10.1080/10903120390936563.
11. Chapman S.A., Blau G., Pred R., Lopez A.B. Correlates of intent to leave job and profession for emergency medical technicians and paramedics. Career Development International. 2009; 14(5):487–503.
12. Eiche C., Birkholz T., Konrad F. [et al.]. Job Satisfaction and Performance Orientation of Paramedics in German Emergency Medical Services – A Nationwide Survey. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(23):12459. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312459.
13. Federiuk C.S., O’Brien K., Jui J., Schmidt T.A. Job satisfaction of paramedics: the effects of gender and type of agency of employment. Annals Emergency Medicine. 1993; 22(4):657–662. DOI: 10.1016/s0196-0644(05)81843-8.
14. Gander P., O’Keeffe K., Santos-Fernandez E. [et al.]. Fatigue and nurses’ work patterns: an online questionnaire survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies. 2019; 98:67–74. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2019.06.011.
15. Hall L., Johnson J., Watt I. [et al.]. Healthcare Staff Wellbeing, Burnout, and Patient Safety: A Systematic Review. PLoS ONE. 2016; 11(7):e0159015. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159015.
16. Hatch D.J., Freude G., Martus P. [et al.]. Age, burnout and physical and psychological work ability among nurses. Occupational Medicine (Lond). 2018; 68(4):246–254. DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqy033.
17. Hirschfeld R.R. Does Revising the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Subscales of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form Make a Difference? Educational and Psychological Measurement. 2000; 60(2):255–270. DOI: 10.1177/00131640021970493.
18. Khan W., Conduit R., Kennedy G.A. [et al.]. Sleep and Mental Health among Paramedics from Australia and Saudi Arabia: A Comparison Study. Clocks Sleep. 2020;2(2):246–257. DOI: 10.3390/clockssleep2020019.
19. Langabeer J.R., 2nd, Gonzalez M., Alqusairi D. [et al.]. Telehealth-Enabled Emergency Medical Services Program Reduces Ambulance Transport to Urban Emergency Departments. The western journal of emergency medicine. 2019; 17(6):713–720. DOI: 10.5811/westjem.2016.8.30660.
20. Li J., Lambert V. Workplace stressors, coping, demographics and job satisfaction in Chinese intensive care nurses. Nursing in Critical Care. 2008; 13(1):12–24. DOI: 10.1111/j.1478-5153.2007.00252.x.
21. Ndongo J., Lél é C., Manga L. [et al.]. Epidemiology of burnout syndrome in four occupational sectors in Cameroon-impact of the practice of physical activities and sport. AIMS public health. 2020; 7(2)319–335. DOI: 10.3934/publichealth.2020027.
22. Ownes S., Maiya M. When must written informed consent be obtained? Texas women’s university. United states.2020.avilable. URL:https://twu.edu/institutional-review-board-irb/informed-consent-guidance/when-must-written-informed-consent-be-obtained/.
23. Patterson P., Moore C., Sanddal N. [et al.]. Characterizing job satisfaction and intent to leave among nationally registered emergency medical technicians: an analysis of the 2005 LEADS survey. Journal of Allied Health. 2009; 38(3):e84–91.
24. Ruitenburg M., Frings-Dresen M., Sluiter J. The prevalence of common mental disorders among hospital physicians and their association with self-reported work ability: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Services Research. 2012; 12:292–298. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-12-292.
25. Silva T., de Ara újo W., Stival M. [et al.]. Musculoskeletal discomfort, work ability and fatigue in nursing professionals working in a hospital environment. Rev. Esc. Enferm. USP. 2018; 52:e03332. DOI: 10.1590/S1980-220X2017022903332.
26. Sterud T., Hem E., Lau B., Ekeberg O. A comparison of general and ambulance specific stressors:predictors of job satisfaction and health problems in a nationwide one-year follow-up study of Norwegian ambulance personnel. Journal of Occupational Medicine & Toxicology. 2011; 6(10):10. DOI: 10.1186/1745-6673-6-10.
27. Wada K., Yoshikawa T., Goto T. [et al.]. Association of depression and suicidal ideation with unreasonable patient demands and complaints among Japanese physicians: a national cross-sectional survey. International Journal of Behavior Medicine. 2011; 18(4):384–390. DOI: 10.1007/s12529-010-9132-7.
28. Weaver M., Wang H., Fairbanks R., Patterson D. The association between EMS workplace safety culture and safety outcomes.Prehospital Emergency Care journal. 2012; 16(1):43–52. DOI: 10.3109/10903127.2011.614048.
29. Zhang Q., Dong H., Zhu C., Guangzeng L. Low back pain in emergency ambulance workers in tertiary hospitals in China and its risk factors among ambulance nurses: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2019; 9(9):e029264. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029264.
Review
For citations:
Alhasan D. Factors associated with job satisfaction of emergency medical services professionals – a cross-sectional study. Medicо-Biological and Socio-Psychological Problems of Safety in Emergency Situations. 2022;(3):100-110. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25016/2541-7487-2022-0-3-100-110
Views:
191
Email this article 