Myers J A, Aldington S, Powell D M C
Department of Medicine, University of Otago Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
Aeromedical Operations, NSW Ambulance, Sydney, Australia.
Emerg Med Australas. 2025 Aug;37(4):e70121. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.70121.
Low job satisfaction amongst emergency physicians is a significant risk to career sustainability. Anecdotal evidence suggests that prehospital and retrieval medicine (PHARM) physicians experience relatively high job satisfaction. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore the research question: 'What influences job satisfaction and sustainability for emergency physicians who maintain dual roles in PHARM and the emergency department?'
Eligible emergency physicians from Australia and New Zealand were interviewed in-depth about their experiences and perceptions of job satisfaction and sustainability. The research team applied experiential knowledge and an inductive analytic approach to construct a conceptual understanding of the physicians' job satisfaction from the data, including factors contributing to career sustainability.
Our sample included 11 participants, six from Australia and five from New Zealand. We identified six key themes influencing job satisfaction: workload, job factors, personal factors, focus on well-being, culture and management and bureaucracy. These are explored in detail, along with ideas on career sustainability.
The nature of emergency medicine work remains inherently satisfying for participants in this study but is influenced by the culture and current working conditions found in many emergency departments, particularly when these factors impact the standard of clinical care physicians feel they can provide. Our findings offer practical guidance on protective factors for job satisfaction and sustainability, including fractional appointments, diversity and flexibility of practice, continuous professional development and access to professional supervision or peer support. Preserving career longevity in emergency medicine requires the implementation of evidence-based, sustainable initiatives.
急诊医生工作满意度低是职业可持续发展的重大风险。轶事证据表明,院前及转运医学(PHARM)医生的工作满意度相对较高。本定性研究的目的是探讨以下研究问题:“对于在PHARM和急诊科兼任双重角色的急诊医生,哪些因素会影响其工作满意度和职业可持续性?”
对来自澳大利亚和新西兰的符合条件的急诊医生就其工作满意度和职业可持续性的经历与看法进行了深入访谈。研究团队运用经验知识和归纳分析方法,根据数据构建对医生工作满意度的概念理解,包括影响职业可持续性的因素。
我们的样本包括11名参与者,6名来自澳大利亚,5名来自新西兰。我们确定了影响工作满意度的六个关键主题:工作量、工作因素、个人因素、对幸福感的关注、文化与管理以及官僚作风。这些主题将与职业可持续性的相关观点一起详细探讨。
对于本研究的参与者而言,急诊医学工作的本质仍然具有内在的满足感,但受到许多急诊科的文化和当前工作条件的影响,特别是当这些因素影响到医生认为自己能够提供的临床护理标准时。我们的研究结果为工作满意度和职业可持续性的保护因素提供了实用指导,包括兼职任命、实践的多样性和灵活性、持续专业发展以及获得专业监督或同行支持。在急诊医学领域保持职业寿命需要实施基于证据的可持续举措。