Impact Of Job Satisfaction In The Health Sector And Strategies To Address The Issue

Issue Statement

Discuss about the Health Work Force.

Attracting and maintaining the right workforce guides the success of the organization. The success of a health organization is guided by the satisfaction of its staffs. Job satisfaction is the urge that glues the workers to their job. Job satisfaction in a health institution is affected by a broad range of issues such as the management leadership, the training of the workforce, compensation and job description. The lack of work satisfaction in health sector leads to high rate of turnover, low productivity, and unhappy patients. The paper looks at the impact of job satisfaction in the health sector and provides the recommendations to the CEO on the strategies to address the issue.

Low Job satisfaction in the health sector is as a result of the gaps between the employee’s expectations and what they get. According to Chaulagain & Khadka (2012), job satisfaction is affected by personal and work-related factors.  When an employee does not meet his expectations such as personal achievements, he is frustrated and demotivated by his work. Additionally, when the work environment is harsh, the employees tend to distance themselves from work. Yami et al., (2011) notes that lack of a supportive work environment for employee’s results to frustrations and work dissatisfaction. The inability to achieve personal and work-related expectations sets a path for low work satisfaction. Thus, Low job satisfaction originates from the discrepancy of the expectation the nurses hold and what the eventually get during the period at work.  The prevalence of the expectations gaps results to the existence of low job satisfaction among the nurses.

The high number of nurses’ turnover elevates the gravity of the issue of low job satisfaction in a health organization.  According to Asegid, Belachew & Yimam (2014), low job satisfaction increases employees’ turnover.  The increase in the number of nurses that elopes from the organization and others quitting the professional completely highlights the impact of job satisfaction in the health sector. The inability of an institution to maintain the skilled workforce is a clear indication of the issue of low work satisfaction for the nurses. Moreover, the problem of persistent absenteeism from work and slowness in handling different situations at work points to the severity of job satisfaction issue in the organization. Chaulagain & Khadka (2012) claim that dissatisfaction at work leads the employees to avoid duties and become more reluctant to address emergency matters in the health unit. Furthermore, the patient dissatisfaction with the care from the nurses bold the nurses’ dissatisfaction with the job. There is a clear link between an unhappy and unsatisfied patient and a nurse dissatisfied with her work (Bonenberger, Aikins, Akweongo & Wyss, 2014). 

Background and Discussions

Work dissatisfaction leads to reduce efficiency and productivity from the employees. Hence, affect the services received by the clients. The constants grievances aired by the patients and bad reviews of the organization services are reminiscent of the nurses’ dissatisfaction with the work.  Unsatisfied nurses fail to concentrate on their mandate to give the best care to their patients. Thus, a high number of turnover, employee absenteeism and slowness at work, low productivity and unsatisfied patients indicate the existence of low job satisfaction in a health organization.

The issue of low job satisfaction impacts on the whole healthy delivery system.  Employees’ job satisfaction has a direct relation with quality services an organization offers to the clients. Low job satisfaction will hamper the health care organization objectives in delivery quality health care. According to Lambrou, Kontodimopoulos & Niakas (2010), work dissatisfaction reduces employee’s commitment towards organizational goals and reduces productivity. The lack of the shared goal between the employees and the organization affects the achievements of the sets objectives.  Additionally, the high rate absenteeism will derail the efficient and quality health care from the health unit.  Hence, the organization will not meet the expectation to delivering quality care. Moreover, the organization will suffer financially in a bid to replace employees who move out. The understaffing of an organization at some period dictates that organization pay for overtime to the remaining workforce (Yami et al., 2011).Thus, low job satisfaction affects the team ability to meets its objectives and has the financial implications. The health workers are affected by the low job satisfaction. Low work satisfaction denies the workers capacity to complete their job and meet the patient needs (Yami et al., 2011). The inability to give their best denies them professional recognition. Moreover, turnover as a result of little satisfaction and eventual quitting of the career denies health workers career growth opportunities. The patient lacks quality health care from the nurses and suffers from wrong diagnosis and possible death. Employees with low job satisfaction are slow in responding to emergencies (Pinder, 2014). Hence, the recipient of the health care is affected by work dissatisfaction in the health sector.

Increasing job satisfaction of health workers will ensure they deliver quality care to patients and improved productivity locally and globally. Job satisfaction increases competencies and builds team relations with colleagues and local communities (Bhatnagar & Srivastava, 2012). The urge to be on the job and to carry it out diligently will enable health workers to take care of the patient effectively, own their responsibility and ultimate success of the health care system.  Health organization should increase job satisfaction to allow the retention of the employees and motivates the performance.  The pride of being in the job and the organization results in satisfaction and returns positive outcomes. Job satisfaction in health sector benefits every stakeholder.

Conclusion

Several initiatives have been undertaken to improve the job satisfaction in the area of health.  Organizations have devolved decision making to capture and recognize employees’ suggestions. According to Kumar et al. (2013), most countries and organizations have involved employees in the HRM activities and broadened decision space. The ability to recognize workers input results to job satisfaction. Lima, Pires, Forte & Medeiros (2014) note that improved Human resource policies reduce turnover. Additionally, different governments and health institutions have upwardly reviewed the benefits of workers and provide regular training.  Improving the well-being of employees and providing growth opportunities improves workers retention. The different measures have significantly ensured low rates of turnover. However, there exist constraints that hinder adoption of various alternatives aimed at enhancing job satisfaction in the health sector. Some organizations have bureaucratic administration style that frustrates employees’ consultation resulting in job dissatisfaction.  Tough supervision and lack of involvement in decision making deny the employees the autonomy and room for creativity that causes low job satisfaction (Bhatnagar & Srivastava, 2012). Additionally, lack of finances to recruit enough workforce results to overwork and lack of enough medical facilities limit the nurses in offering quality health care. High job satisfaction positively impacts the employees, the organization and the patients (Lima, Pires, Forte & Medeiros, 2014). Hence, employees will drop out of their career, the patients will receive inadequate health care while organizations will suffer financially and unable to meets their objectives if the issue is not resolved. 

Conclusion

Job satisfaction in the health sector is essential in ensuring effective health care system. Increasing nurses work satisfaction will reduce turnover and improve productivity. The organization will benefit from a workforce that is aligned towards its objectives of giving quality health care. The organization will save the cost of labor replacement. Moreover, the patient will receive utmost care from a committed and happy workforce. Hence, Work satisfaction in health care is critical in ensuring efficient health services.

• The organization should develop friendly and accommodating human resource practices that involve the employees in decision making. Employees value the feeling of recognition and autonomy which increases creativity in health care delivery (Kehoe & Wright, 2013). Giving the health workers the ability to make an independent decision will improve work satisfaction in the organization.
• The Organization Management should upwardly review the employees’ benefits and the promotion criteria to ensure everyone has a chance for personal and professional growth. Career and personal development opportunities improve job satisfaction (Asegid, Belachew & Yimam, 2014)). Hence, the organization should remunerate the workers and provide training forums.
• The management of the organization should adopt an effective leadership style. The bureaucratic hierarchy brings conflict and dissatisfaction in the organization (Wong, & Laschinger, 2013). Adopting an all-inclusive leadership and management supportive style will ensure effective teamwork and ultimate job satisfaction.
• The health center management should improve the physical working environment. An understaffed and underequipped facility leads to low job satisfaction and high rate of turnover (Pinder, 2014). The lack of enough workforces will cause overworking of staffs that will cause burnout. Lack of equipment’s’ will hinder quality health care delivery and demotivation of staff and result in little job satisfaction.
• The organization should ensure they recruit the right people and design regular recreation exercises to deal with work stress. Lack of necessary qualifications and experience in the job causes work-related stress, hence, low job satisfaction (Khamisa, Oldenburg, Peltzer & Ilic, 2015). Having the best fit for the job will ensure they conduct duties without strain and improve satisfaction.  Moreover, engaging in recreation activities within the organization will help employees deal with the stress and become satisfied in their work.

The health care organization management should implement the recommendations through adequate consultation with the employees. The Management should document every agreement with the views from the employees. The organization should strive to apply the solutions in a timeline of three months entirely. The center leaders should always undertake staff satisfaction surveys to determine the success of the recommendations.

The recommendation should be communicated to all organization leaders and all staffs. The communication should be done through departmental meetings or memos placed on notice boards. Additionally, the CEO can choose to address the workers through formal letters or emails. Hence, would not require any communication plan.

References

Asegid, A., Belachew, T., & Yimam, E. (2014). Factors influencing job satisfaction and anticipated turnover among nurses in sidama zone public health facilities, south Ethiopia. Nursing research and practice, 12 (2)2014.

Bhatnagar, K., & Srivastava, K. (2012). Job satisfaction in health-care organizations. Industrial psychiatry journal, 21(1), 75.

Bonenberger, M., Aikins, M., Akweongo, P., & Wyss, K. (2014). The effects of health worker motivation and job satisfaction on turnover intention in Ghana: a cross-sectional study. Human resources for health, 12(1), 43.

Chaulagain, N., & Khadka, D. K. (2012). Factors influencing job satisfaction among healthcare professionals at Tilganga eye centre, Kathmandu, Nepal. Age, 35(56), 74-67.

Kehoe, R. R., & Wright, P. M. (2013). The impact of high-performance human resource practices on employees’ attitudes and behaviors. Journal of management, 39(2), 366-391.

Khamisa, N., Oldenburg, B., Peltzer, K., & Ilic, D. (2015). Work related stress, burnout, job satisfaction and general health of nurses. International journal of environmental research and public health, 12(1), 652-666.

Kumar, R., Ahmed, J., Shaikh, B. T., Hafeez, R., & Hafeez, A. (2013). Job satisfaction among public health professionals working in public sector: a cross sectional study from Pakistan. Human resources for health, 11(1), 2.

Lambrou, P., Kontodimopoulos, N., & Niakas, D. (2010). Motivation and job satisfaction among medical and nursing staff in a Cyprus public general hospital. Human resources for health, 8(1), 26.

Lima, L. , Pires, D. , Forte, E. & Medeiros, F. (2014). Job satisfaction and dissatisfaction of primary health care professionals. Escola Anna Nery, 18(1), 17-24.

Pinder, C. C. (2014). Work motivation in organizational behavior. Psychology Press.

Wong, C. A., & Laschinger, H. K. (2013). Authentic leadership, performance, and job satisfaction: the mediating role of empowerment. Journal of advanced nursing, 69(4), 947-959.

Yami, A., Hamza, L., Hassen, A., Jira, C., & Sudhakar, M. (2011). Job satisfaction and its determinants among health workers in jimma university specialized hospital, southwest ethiopia. Ethiopian journal of health sciences, 21(3).