Career Satisfaction among Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists: A study from Jordan

Abstract

Objective: Career satisfaction experienced by healthcare professionals has an impact on the quality of health care. This study aims to evaluate career satisfaction perceived by physicians, dentists and pharmacists working in Jordan.

Design: The study utilized an online questionnaire distributed among a sample of pharmacists, dentists and physicians working in Jordan. The questionnaire addressed career satisfaction as well as satisfaction regarding family and workplace aspects, relations with patients, colleagues, and society.

Setting: Healthcare institutions in Jordan.

Main outcome measures: Physicians, dentists and pharmacists were surveyed for factors influencing their career satisfaction.

Results: A total of 294 healthcare personnel participated in this study with a mean age of 37.65±11.7 years (range= 23-68 years). Participants included 46 (15.6%) pharmacists, 128 (43.5%) physicians and 120 (40.8%) dentists with a female majority (76.9%). Only 165 (56.1%) expressed career satisfaction. Marriage, having children, a high monthly income, and house ownership were associated with a significantly higher career satisfaction (≤0.050). Moreover, professionals working in academic or non-governmental organizations had a significantly higher career satisfaction (P=0.001). Most practitioners were not satisfied with a work- family relation (51.8%), however, they were mostly satisfied with relationships with colleagues (65.9%), and perceived they received appreciation from patients and society (60.5%).

Conclusions: Social and financial stability are associated with career satisfaction among healthcare professionals working in Jordan. Further, participants are generally satisfied with relationships with colleagues, supporting staff and patients. They are also satisfied with respect and appreciation offered from society. More attention is warranted for assessment of challenges and problems faced by practitioners in the private sector, particularly economic aspects to improve career satisfaction and mitigate turnover intention.