Work stress and job satisfaction in hospital-based home care

The entire staff of the hospital-based home care (HBHC) at Motala (n = 35) participated in a study concerning work stress and job satisfaction. A significant number of the patients in the HBHC have advanced malignancies and most of them are terminally ill. A total of 219 questions about stress and job satisfaction were asked in a self-administered questionnaire. Only 3%-17% of the staff often or very often experienced stress factors such as high expectations, confusing orders, or lack of information. Instead, a majority stated that they often/very often experienced different aspects of job satisfaction, such as meaningfulness, security, and stimulation. Staff members stating that they often were proud/very proud of their jobs, members feeling that their skill and experience were needed, as well as staff members who often received praise from their superiors, were less prone to look for other jobs (p less than 0.01, p less than 0.05, and p less than 0.05, respectively). Those who often/very often were allowed to take initiatives of their own more often regarded their jobs as non-monotonous (p less than 0.05) and stimulating to their personal development (p less than 0.001). Despite demanding jobs with severely ill patients, most of the staff gave high ratings for different aspects of job satisfaction. This positive spirit was also reflected in the exceptionally low job turnover among them. Possible explanations may be a careful selection of personnel and an organization which both stimulates the staff's own initiatives and provides support when necessary.