[Variables related to job satisfaction. Cross-sectional study using the European Foundation for Quality Management...

To identify the influence of the dimensions of people items and sociodemographic characteristics included in the EFQM model on high satisfaction of healthcare workers in a district hospital.

We performed a cross-sectional study in November 2003. The questionnaire used was the personal satisfaction survey of the Basque Country (Spain). The outcome measure was a high degree of satisfaction (75th percentile or higher). Independent variables were sociodemographic and organizational characteristics. The association among variables was assessed using odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence interval (CI). Adjustment for confounders was performed by unconditional logistic regression.

On a scale from 0 to 10, the mean general satisfaction score was 5.95 (standard deviation, 2). Twenty-five percent of workers gave their general satisfaction with the organizational climate a score of 8 or more points. The most positively considered features were the environmental policy, hierarchical relations, promotion, and professional development. The most negatively viewed items were salary, knowledge and identification of objectives, and training. The variables most closely related to outcome were a favorable perception of training (adjusted OR = 5.04; 95% CI, 2.16-11.77) and recognition of the work performed (adjusted OR = 4.68; 95% CI, 2.20-10.08). Sociodemographic factors had less influence on satisfaction.

Almost half of the staff surveyed in our hospital were satisfied or highly satisfied with the organizational climate. Satisfaction was strongly associated with positive evaluation of organizational characteristics.