TY - JOUR
T1 - One big happy family? Interdisciplinary variation in job satisfaction among hospice providers
AU - Casarett, David J.
AU - Spence, Carol
AU - Haskins, Matthew
AU - Teno, Joan
PY - 2011/8/1
Y1 - 2011/8/1
N2 - Background: Job satisfaction is particularly important in the hospice industry, given the emotional and interpersonal challenges that hospice staff face in providing care to patients near the end of life and their families. However, little is known about the job satisfaction of hospice providers, or about variation in satisfaction among disciplines. Methods: Staff at participating hospices completed the Survey of Team Attitudes and Relationships (STAR) using an online user interface. The STAR has 6 domains that comprise 45 items. Results: Results were submitted for 8,495 staff from 177 hospices in 41 states. The mean total score was 28 on a 0-100 scale (range, 0-100; interquartile range, 8-45) and hospice-level scores ranged from 15 to 44. Nonclinical staff (n=3260) and clinical staff (n=5235) had similar total scores (28 for both). Among clinical staff, in a mixed effects model adjusting for individual and hospice characteristics, physicians had the highest total scores (adjusted mean 42; 95% confidence interval: 35-46) compared to chaplains (30; 28-33), bereavement coordinators (27; 24-30), nurses' aides (29; 27-33); nurses (26; 28-33), and social workers (25; 23-26). Conclusions: There is significant variation in job satisfaction both among hospices and disciplines.
AB - Background: Job satisfaction is particularly important in the hospice industry, given the emotional and interpersonal challenges that hospice staff face in providing care to patients near the end of life and their families. However, little is known about the job satisfaction of hospice providers, or about variation in satisfaction among disciplines. Methods: Staff at participating hospices completed the Survey of Team Attitudes and Relationships (STAR) using an online user interface. The STAR has 6 domains that comprise 45 items. Results: Results were submitted for 8,495 staff from 177 hospices in 41 states. The mean total score was 28 on a 0-100 scale (range, 0-100; interquartile range, 8-45) and hospice-level scores ranged from 15 to 44. Nonclinical staff (n=3260) and clinical staff (n=5235) had similar total scores (28 for both). Among clinical staff, in a mixed effects model adjusting for individual and hospice characteristics, physicians had the highest total scores (adjusted mean 42; 95% confidence interval: 35-46) compared to chaplains (30; 28-33), bereavement coordinators (27; 24-30), nurses' aides (29; 27-33); nurses (26; 28-33), and social workers (25; 23-26). Conclusions: There is significant variation in job satisfaction both among hospices and disciplines.
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U2 - 10.1089/jpm.2011.0057
DO - 10.1089/jpm.2011.0057
M3 - Review article
C2 - 21711122
AN - SCOPUS:79961221191
VL - 14
SP - 913
EP - 917
JO - Journal of Palliative Medicine
JF - Journal of Palliative Medicine
SN - 1096-6218
IS - 8
ER -