[Work satisfaction, quality of life and leisure time of residents at the Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheba, Israel].

BACKGROUND

Work dissatisfaction among physicians worldwide continues to rise over the last few decades, mainly due to declining professional prestige, tack of self fulfillment, time pressure and tack of leisure time. Physicians' burnout is a major result of dissatisfaction, causing doctors to leave the medical profession, and to provide lower quality of care.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the work satisfaction, quality of life and leisure time of residents in the Soroka University Medical Center.

METHODS

A validated questionnaire was delivered during the second half of 2004 to 252 residents in the Soroka University Medical Center The data was analyzed using the SPSS 12 for windows program. Descriptive analysis, parametric Students' T Test [where p<0.05 was set to be considered valid) and a-parametric Mann Whitney and x2 tests were conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 137 residents responded to the questionnaire (response rate of 54.36%]. The residents' satisfaction level was low, mainly due to dissatisfaction with their quality of life. There was no difference in satisfaction between male and female residents. Residents in the early stage of their internship were more satisfied than residents who had completed the first stage in regard to their income (p=0.005). Surgical residents were less satisfied than non-surgical residents (p=0.003), mainly from the work relations with their superiors (p=0.015).

CONCLUSIONS

The residents at the Soroka University Medical Center were satisfied with their work environment but not with their quality of life and leisure time. Further attention must be given to these matters--a step which will eventually improve patient care, and delay, to some extent, the burnout of physicians.