Job morale of physicians and dentists in Kazakhstan: a qualitative study

BMC Health Services Research

Research

Medet Toleubayev¹  Stefan Priebe²  Nikolina Jovanović²  Lauren M. Hickling³  Alina Sabitova⁴ 

[1] Department of Plastic Surgery, Astana Medical University, 010000, Astana, Kazakhstan;Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Service Development, Queen Mary University of London, E13 8SP, London, UK;Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Service Development, Queen Mary University of London, E13 8SP, London, UK;East London NHS Foundation Trust, Newham Centre for Mental Health, London, UK;Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Service Development, Queen Mary University of London, E13 8SP, London, UK;Healthcare Department, Nazarbayev University, 010000, Astana, Kazakhstan;

关键词: Burnout;    Healthcare;    Job morale;    Low-and-middle income countries;    Strategies;    Thematic analysis;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12913-022-08919-x

 received in 2022-08-23, accepted in 2022-12-01,  发布年份 2022

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundJob morale is thought to be particularly low in Kazakhstan, adversely affecting job motivation, job satisfaction and burnout rates. Previous research suggests that high job morale has a better effect on patient outcomes and care quality. We, therefore, conducted a qualitative study to explore experiences underpinning positive and negative job morale, and to generate potential strategies for improving job morale of physicians and dentists working in public healthcare settings in Kazakhstan prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThree focus groups containing 23 participants and 30 individual interviews were conducted, evidencing respondents' explanations of what affects job morale, and possible strategies to improve it. Data was synthesised using a thematic analysis.ResultsThe themes about what influences job morale were: being unfairly rewarded for work; feeling vulnerable and undervalued; poor working styles and practices; and high internal value-based motivation. Various strategies were identified by participants to improve job morale, and these included: ensuring adequate and equitable financial income; improving the current malpractice system; eliminating poor working styles and practices; and creating a shared responsibility for health.ConclusionsThe current study has found that despite prevailing threats, job morale amongst physicians and dentists working in public healthcare settings in Astana have been prevented from becoming negative by their strong sense of calling to medicine and the satisfaction of helping patients recover. Emphasising this rather traditional understanding of the role of physicians and dentists may be a way to improve job morale throughout training and practice.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s) 2022