Sources of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction for unit clerks employed in acute care settings

• Main Author: Dunton, Denise
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2007
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1993/1020

To investigate the extent of job satisfaction this ethnographic study posed the research question: What are the factors that contribute to the job satisfaction and dissatisfaction of unit clerks? Following approval of the two participating hospitals, a letter of invitation to participate was sent to unit clerks who met the criteria of at least one year's full time experience as a unit clerk in an acute care setting. Nine participants agreed to participate in the interviews and participant observation sessions following explanation and consent to the study. The interview transcripts and field notes were analysed for factors which contributed to job satisfaction and dissatisfaction of unit clerks. In general, the results reflected the findings of previous research. Participants of this study described relationships with nursing staff, other health care workers, supervisors and patients as their strongest source of job satisfaction, followed by pride in organizational skill, expansion of role and opportunity for personal growth. Frequent interruptions were the primary contributing factor in unit clerk job dissatisfaction, followed by ergonomic issues. Unit clerks who participated in this study indicated that their education was inadequate to prepare them for their work environment. Their contractual benefits were described as a source of satisfaction although they would have preferred opportunities for promotion or pay raises. Job uncertainty in the future of the health care system completed the factors identified by the participants as contributing to job dissatisfaction. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)