In the patient service industry – careers such as nursing and travel therapy – job satisfaction rates are considered important. Job satisfaction is associated with absenteeism, turnover rates and quality of care. In the complex workings of healthcare, all three of those factors correlate to how smoothly a hospital or medical clinic functions.
Those considering taking on nursing jobs, physical therapy jobs or occupational therapy jobs should be aware of professional peer-reported satisfaction rates to assist in determining if healthcare is an optimal career.
Overall, nurses are satisfied with their work and coworkers, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information for the U.S. National Library of Medicine. However, factors such as promotional opportunities, compensation and superiors are the least enjoyed.
A survey of 76,000 nurses conducted by the American Nursing Association to measure job satisfaction found that over half, 53 percent, indicated they enjoyed their work and 63.3 percent said they were satisfied with their job.
However, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources, the current nursing shortage may intensify if negative factors of the nursing profession are not remedied. The shortage is expected to rise to 29 percent in 2020, reported the source.
A career in physical therapy is considered the highest-ranking in job satisfaction, next to clergy, according to the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, reported U.S. News. Over three quarters of physical therapists reported being “very satisfied” with their occupation.
Qualities of the job that led to such high ratings included one-on-one coaching with patients, the ability to see progress in patients (which can promote feeling of worth) and the ability to create bonds with people in a comfortable setting.
The factors that were rated the lowest for promoting job satisfaction for a therapist were the constant physical demands on the body, high level of training required, the high expense of training and the ability to become emotionally burnt out.
Consider job satisfaction rates for healthcare positions before determining which field may best fit professional and personal goals.