ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: This article addresses the organization and management of medical careers in Portugal within the framework of the National Health Service. It focuses, in particular, on some indicators of motivation and professional satisfaction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This article is part of a broader research project on the organization of medical careers in Portugal. It draws on the results of a survey carried out to active medical doctors, residents and those that have already abandoned the National Health Service. The sample was drawn from the database of physicians enrolled in the Northern Section of the Medical Association. RESULTS: A total of 3253 physicians were surveyed. Physician satisfaction levels vary according to age, type of connection to the National Health Service and are associated with expectations regarding the professional future. DISCUSSION: Despite the close connection with the National Health Service, younger doctors showed higher levels of professional dissatisfaction and uncertainty regarding their professional future. Although with varying degrees of discontent depending on the groups considered, the dissatisfaction of the professionals interviewed is with the physical conditions of the workplace and with the opportunities for career advancement. At the level of interpersonal relations and training, satisfaction is high. The anticipation of retirement and the transfer to the private sector are options that professionals consider as a strategy to respond to professional dissatisfaction. CONCLUSION: The study shows that the current functioning of the National Health Service does not diminish the interest in the practice of medicine, but rather motivates the search for more attractive and rewarding working conditions.
Introdução: Este artigo aborda a temática da organização e gestão da carreira médica em Portugal no quadro do Serviço Nacional de Saúde. Foca, em particular, alguns indicadores de motivação e satisfação profissional.Material e Métodos: Este artigo resulta de um projeto de investigação mais alargado sobre a organização da carreira médica em Portugal. Foram aplicados inquéritos a médicos especialistas ativos, a realizar o internato de especialidade médica e que já abandonaram o Serviço Nacional de Saúde. A base de sondagem compreende os médicos inscritos na Secção Norte da Ordem dos Médicos.Resultados: Foram inquiridos 3253 médicos. Os níveis de satisfação dos médicos variam em função da idade, do tipo de ligação ao SNS e associados às expectativas em relação ao futuro profissional.Discussão: Apesar da estreita ligação com o Serviço Nacional de Saúde, os médicos mais jovens evidenciaram maiores níveis de insatisfação profissional e incerteza em relação ao seu futuro profissional. Ainda que com graus de descontentamento variáveis em função dos grupos considerados, a insatisfação dos profissionais inquiridos é com as condições materiais de exercício da profissão e com as oportunidades de progressão. No plano das relações interpessoais e da formação, a satisfação é elevada. A antecipação da reforma e a transferência para o setor privado são opções que os profissionais equacionam como estratégia para responder à insatisfação profissional.Conclusão: O estudo demonstra que as configurações atuais de funcionamento do Serviço Nacional de Saúde não diminuem o interesse pelo exercício da medicina, mas sim motivam a procura de condições mais aliciantes e compensatórias no exercício da mesma.
Subject(s)
Health Workforce/statistics & numerical data , Job Satisfaction , National Health Programs , Physicians/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , PortugalABSTRACT
REVIEW QUESTION/OBJECTIVE: The objective of this review is to identify the available methods and instruments that are used to measure adjustment to retirement among retirees. This review will also find studies that use other methodological approaches to evaluate, measure and/or understand adjustment to retirement. The following specific questions will be addressed by this review.
Subject(s)
Emotional Adjustment , Retirement/psychology , Aged , HumansABSTRACT
HIGHLIGHTS: New reliable and valid instrument to describe health professionals representations about retirement.A valid instrument that can be used to compare different health professionals.Job satisfaction is the major factor associated with positions about general policies about retirement. OBJECTIVE: To test the psychometric properties of a newly designed instrument to describe the REpresentations and Practices About REtirement (the PREPARE instrument). METHODS: Participants were nurses and doctors working in the two public hospitals of Porto, aged 55-65 years, in 2011. Among the 367 eligible participants, 231 (65.9%) participated in the study. The PREPARE instrument consists of four sections: 9, 5 and 12, respectively. A principal component analysis was performed to evaluate the scale's dimensionality, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis to test the fit using different indexes (TLI - Tucker-Lewis Index and CFI - Confirmatory fit index). RESULTS: Principal confirmatory analysis and confirmatory factor analysis identified 3, 1 and 2 factors for section 1, 2 and 3. All confirmatory factor analysis models had a value of CFI and TLI higher than 0.9. Section 1 showed a first factor related with items about the importance of personal competences, a second factor related with items about the importance of relationships with patients, and third factor related with items about the importance of following ethical and directive rules; section 2 showed a general factor about the features you valued most in the other health professional group; and, finally, in section 3, the first factor was related with items about satisfaction with the work environment and the second factor with items about satisfaction with professional career. CONCLUSION: The PREPARE instrument has the basic requirements of a valid and reliable measurement of a scale to describe medical doctors and nurses representations and practices about the decision regarding retirement.
