Job Satisfaction among Healthcare Professionals in Selected Public Hospitals in tTans-Nzoia County, Kenya

Abstract

The major challenge facing hospitals worldwide is dissatisfaction among Healthcare Professionals. Job dissatisfaction can lead to an increase in the spate of industrial actions and poor quality service delivery. This research sought to assess the determinants of job satisfaction among Healthcare professionals in selected public hospitals in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya. The hospitals were Cherangany, Kwanza, Endebes, Saboti Sub-county hospitals, and Kitale County Referral hospital. The specific objectives included; to determine the level of job satisfaction, to determine whether there was a statistically significant relationship between socio demographic characteristics, work environment factors and job satisfaction, to explore the mediating effect of government policy on the relationship between work environment factors and job satisfaction and to explore determinants of job satisfaction among healthcare professionals in selected public hospitals in Trans-Nzoia County, Kenya. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 263 randomly selected healthcare professionals from all health cadres. Quantitative data were collected using self-administered questionnaires and analyzed SPSS v24 software. The bivariate analysis used a chi-square test for association at 95% CI. Significant factors (p<0.05) at bivariate analysis were subjected to Logistic regression (LR) to identify the predictors of job satisfaction. Chi-square analysis was used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables. Content analysis was done on the qualitative data and findings integrated into the report. The study established a 47.5% job satisfaction rate. From the Key informant interview, 80% of respondents stated that healthcare professionals in their institutions were dissatisfied with their jobs. There was a significant statistical association between socio-demographic characteristics, work environment factors, and job satisfaction. The variables that independently predicted overall job satisfaction were found to be year of service in the hospital (AOR= 0.132, 95% CI= 0.020-0.867, p= 0.035), designation (AOR= 1.411, 95% CI= 1.411-1.02, p= 0.037), contingent reward (AOR= 0.007, 95% CI= 0.000-0.87, p= 0.043), pay (AOR= 419.558, 95% CI= 2.005-87803.14, p= 0.027), fringe benefit reward (AOR= 459.68, 95% CI= 2.206-95792.65, p= 0.024) time off (AOR= 9587.84 95% CI= 10.206-9007324.44, p= 0.009), Job evaluation (AOR= 719.589, 95% CI= 3.587-144363.23, p=0.015), training (AOR=2193.54, 95% CI= 9.224-521630.56, p=0.006), staff competence (AOR= 275.586, 95% CI= 2.472-30723.09, p=0.019), appreciation (AOR=2193.54, 95% CI= 9.224-521630.56, p=0.032), supervision (AOR=118.826, 95% CI= 2.255-6260.744, p=0.018), communication (AOR=681.22, 95% CI= 3.270-141920.08, p=0.017), relationship with co-workers (AOR=1069.194, 95% CI= 3.818-299442.63, p=0.015), equipment and resources (AOR=1829.65, 95% CI= 6.809-491653.31, p=0.008) lighting and ventilation (AOR=476.53, 95% CI= 8.321-27289.24, p=0.003), nature of work (AOR=779.035, 95% CI= 8.548-71001.15, (p=0.004) and operating procedures (AOR=268.155, 95% CI= 2.537-28343.457, p=0.019). The key informants identified poor compensation, inadequate training and development opportunities, and occupational health and safety as the key determinants of job satisfaction. The study recommends that `Trans Nzoia County should adopt processes and tools for assessing the work environment, including satisfaction levels and comparing them, and identifying the best practices to apply across the system. The study proposes a comparative study on determinants of job satisfaction among healthcare professionals in private and public facilities to understand the dynamics and variations.