What do clinical optometrists like about their job?

Job satisfaction of Spanish and Portuguese optometrists

PURPOSE

Given the increase in demand for optometry services by society and the importance of the Optometry profession in Portugal and Spain, the objective of this study was to determine job satisfaction and important factors related to this satisfaction in a sample of Portuguese and Spanish optometrists.

METHODS

A prospective, cross-sectional, and observational study was carried out from June to December 2021. An adaptation of the 15-item job satisfaction in eye-care personnel (JSEP) questionnaire validated by Paudel et al. was administered to Portuguese and Spanish optometrists. The questionnaire was shared through different social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, etc.) in a Google form during the months of June to December 2021 in Portugal and Spain.

RESULTS

A total of 530 surveys were collected in Portugal (42.3%; n = 224) and Spain (57.7%; n = 306). The factors that most influence overall job satisfaction are salary, career development opportunities, recognition/prestige in society, good work-life balance (all p<0.001), workplace equipment and facilities, and encouragement reward positive feedback (both p = 0.002). When comparing the determinants of job satisfaction of optometrists, it was found that Portuguese professionals were generally more satisfied than Spanish ones (p<0.001). However, Spanish optometrists reported feeling more supported by their colleagues (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that the level of job satisfaction was higher in Portugal than in Spain. The most important factors influencing job satisfaction were salary, job stability, and support from colleagues.

Safety attitudes build safety culture: Nurse/midwife leaders improving health care using quantitative data

AIM

We aim to determine safety attitudes of nurses and midwives across a Local Health District in Australia and compare results 1 year later following facilitated feedback of results.

BACKGROUND

Positive safety cultures are imperative for positive patient and staff outcomes. Staff member's attitude contribute to an organisations safety culture but can differ between health professional groups and across different subcultures.

METHOD

The Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ-Short version) was administered to all nurses and midwives within a Local Health District in NSW, Australia in 2019 and 2020. Results were facilitated back to nursing/midwifery leadership teams with an expectation of developing and enacting an action plan, based on results.

RESULTS

Of the six domains in the SAQ-Short version, five domains scores increased significantly (p < .001) over the time period.

CONCLUSIONS

Measures over time are important to establish differences in perceptions and feedback on impact of actions. Facilitated feedback of results shows meaning when nursing/midwifery leadership staff have data explained and an opportunity to discuss and plan.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

This study shows that facilitated feedback of quantitative survey results brings improved results when a survey is replicated. Nurse managers should enact a contextualized action plan with teams based on survey results to influence improvement in safety attitudes of staff.

The mental health and wellbeing survey of Australian optometrists

PURPOSE

To investigate the prevalence of mental health conditions and burnout among practising optometrists in Australia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of registered practising Australian optometrists was undertaken over a three-week period from mid-November 2019. The survey comprised three well-established mental health scales (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale [K10], Depression Anxiety Stress Scales [DASS-21] and Maslach Burnout Inventory [MBI]) and an open-ended question inviting comments.

RESULTS

Five hundred and five respondents completed the K10, representing 8.8% of registered optometrists in Australia; 466 completed all three scales. Prevalence of moderate to severe psychological distress (K10 ≥ 25) was 30.7% (95% CI 26.7%-34.7%), with similar findings for depression and anxiety (DASS-21). Prevalence of high burnout, as indicated by MBI-GS exhaustion was 56.1% (95% CI 51.7%-60.4%), cynicism 57.1% (95% CI 52.7%-61.5%) and professional efficacy 23.1% (95% CI 19.4%-26.8%). Optometrists aged ≤ 30 years were 3.5 times more likely to report moderate to severe psychological distress compared to optometrists aged >30 years (OR = 3.54, P < 0.001, 95% CI 2.38-5.25). The most frequently mentioned work-related issues concerned retail pressures, workload and career dissatisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The rates of mental health conditions and burnout reported by practising Australian optometrists were high compared with the general population and other health professionals. Younger age and burnout were significant risk factors for psychological distress. Interventions are required to address these issues, particularly for younger optometrists, and could include workplace modifications and building resilience to improve personal mental wellbeing and ensure patient safety.

Job satisfaction and its associated factors among optometrists in Ghana: a cross-sectional study

Background

Job satisfaction describes an employee’s motivation and/or feeling of satisfaction towards his/her work. Globally, healthcare professionals’ turnover and retention play a critical role in the delivery of essential health services. In Ghana, however, little has been done to ascertain job satisfaction levels among human resources for eye-health. The objective of this study therefore was to assess job satisfaction and its associated factors among optometrists in Ghana.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 304 registered and licensed optometrists of the Ghana Optometric Association between September 2018 and June 2019. A validated, well-structured questionnaire was used to elicit information on socio-demographic characteristics of participants and measures on job satisfaction. Scores from a five-point Likert scale was employed to examine job satisfaction and its associated factors. Linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between overall job satisfaction and its associated factors using Rasch logit scores.

Results

A total of 214 optometrists gave valid responses to the questionnaires used for the final analysis. The mean (± SD) score of the overall perception of job satisfaction among optometrists was 3.36 (± 1.00), with 74.3% of them being satisfied with their jobs. After statistical adjustment, Good work-life balance (Unstandardized co-efficient (β) = 0.288, p = 0.001), Salary (β = 0.222, p < 0.0005), Supervision (β = 0.117, p = 0.044), and Continuing Education Opportunities (β = 0.138, p = 0.017) were all significantly associated with higher levels of overall job satisfaction.

Conclusions

Most optometrists were satisfied with their jobs. Effective strategic planning and management of human resources for eye-health in Ghana are essential in the development of quality eye-health systems and the provision of high-quality eyecare services.

Development and validation of an instrument to assess job satisfaction in eye-care personnel

PURPOSE

The aim was to develop and validate an instrument to measure job satisfaction in eye-care personnel and assess the job satisfaction of one-year trained vision technicians in India.

METHODS

A pilot instrument for assessing job satisfaction was developed, based on a literature review and input from a public health expert panel. Rasch analysis was used to assess psychometric properties and to undertake an iterative item reduction. The instrument was then administered to vision technicians in vision centres of Andhra Pradesh in India. Associations between vision technicians' job satisfaction and factors such as age, gender and experience were analysed using t-test and one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

Rasch analysis confirmed that the 15-item job satisfaction in eye-care personnel (JSEP) was a unidimensional instrument with good fit statistics, measurement precisions and absence of differential item functioning. Overall, vision technicians reported high rates of job satisfaction (0.46 logits). Age, gender and experience were not associated with high job satisfaction score. Item score analysis showed non-financial incentives, salary and workload were the most important determinants of job satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The 15-item JSEP instrument is a valid instrument for assessing job satisfaction among eye-care personnel. Overall, vision technicians in India demonstrated high rates of job satisfaction.

A systematic review of mixed methods research on human factors and ergonomics in health care

This systematic literature review provides information on the use of mixed methods research in human factors and ergonomics (HFE) research in health care. Using the PRISMA methodology, we searched four databases (PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Engineering Village) for studies that met the following inclusion criteria: (1) field study in health care, (2) mixing of qualitative and quantitative data, (3) HFE issues, and (4) empirical evidence. Using an iterative and collaborative process supported by a structured data collection form, the six authors identified a total of 58 studies that primarily address HFE issues in health information technology (e.g., usability) and in the work of healthcare workers. About two-thirds of the mixed methods studies used the convergent parallel study design where quantitative and qualitative data were collected simultaneously. A variety of methods were used for collecting data, including interview, survey and observation. The most frequent combination involved interview for qualitative data and survey for quantitative data. The use of mixed methods in healthcare HFE research has increased over time. However, increasing attention should be paid to the formal literature on mixed methods research to enhance the depth and breadth of this research.