engleski

Stress at work and physicians’ work ability in Croatian hospitals

INTRODUCTION: Medicine is an extremely stressful profession with long working hours, shift work, pressing clinical problems, ethical dilemmas, difficult patients and conflicting demands. Psychological distress among healthcare professionals has negative effects on the quality of care provided to patients. AIM: To determine stressors at workplace among female and male physicians in Croatian hospitals, and to define the relation between stressors and physicians' work ability index. METHODS: Based on the literature, 37-item questionnaire was developed which addressed stressors in the workplace, with additional 4 questions on satisfaction. It was administered along with &#8220; Work Ability Index (WAI) Questionnaire&#8221; to physicians in four Croatian university hospitals. RESULTS: The overall response rate was 78.5% (395 of 503 eligible subjects responded). Age median (interquartile range) was 43 (33-54) for men and 41 (33-53) for women without significant difference. In our study all physicians, reported: Organization of work and financial issues, Public criticism and law suits, Shift work, and Professional and intellectual demands, as very stressful. Stressor as a Shift work is significantly more frequently reported by male doctors vs. female doctors (P<0.001). Significantly more women than men had low WAI (<37), (P=0.022). Professional and intellectual demands were perceived more stressful among physicians with very good and excellent WAI (&#8805; 37) than among ones with low WAI (<37). Most of physicians (66%), male and female, are satisfied with their job. The Professional and intelectual demands, and Satisfaction with job cause higher chanse for having a good and excellent WAI. The perception of hazards at workplace and dissatisfaction with job as stressful significantly contribute to low WAI. CONCLUSION: Both groups, male and female physicians, in hospitals are experiencing high level of stress. Our findings support the concern that perception of certain stressors predicts low work ability of physicians.

work-related stressor; work ability index; physicians

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