The degree of job satisfaction and the quality of working life of the staff in palliative care wards

Introduction: Professions, in which the essence is to work with people, close and frequent contacts with them and to deliver them with assistance, can touch the burnout syndrome.

Aim of the study: To assess the degree of job satisfaction, the quality of working life and the burnout of the staff in palliative care wards in Podlaskie province.

Material and methods : The study group included 103 workers of palliative care wards. We used a questionnaire survey to measure job satisfaction, including the 16 aspects of work identified by SHRM and questionnaires: the Q-LES-Q SF and MBI.

Results : The workers chose hospice profession most often (87.4%) by an independent decision rule (85.2%) were satisfied with their, and 44% of the respondents believed that the employer is largely responsible for the sense of job satisfaction. The current place of work would recommend (57.3%) and (38.6%) were satisfied from the salary. Almost all (97.2%) assessed positive relations with colleagues, with patients (100%), with the families of patients (83.1%), and with the supe­riors (93.9%). Nearly 21% of the respondents did not change the current place of work in Poland and 8.9 % of them abroad. The main factors contributing to a possible change in the current job was the liquidation of the workplace (50%) and low wages (35.2%). The main factor causing a high level of satisfaction was a good relationship with colleagues (93.9%). The average level of burnout was the highest level of loss in terms of personal achievement (29.8) and lowest level of depersonalization (4.5).

Conclusions : The workers of palliative care wards was satisfied with the job, had little difficulty in its implementation, problem-solving and decision-making job. The factor having the greatest impact on these relationships was with his superiors. The self-esteem, your relationships with colleagues, superiors and family members in the majority of patients rated as rather good, but with patients as very good. In the group of hospice workers, there were three factors of burnout. Most vulnerable to burn out group of former employees with over 11 years experience in palliative care wards and university education. Employees were more satisfied with their lives. The lower assessment of quality of life for people concerned with higher education and women, and higher for men and those aged 20-30 years.