Assessing the Level of Job Satisfaction and Burnout amongst Registered Nurses in the Tamale Teaching Hospital and Tamale West Hospital in the Northern Region

Abstract

Background: Health workers particularly nurses often experience considerable stressful workload, mental stress and time pressure in their working environment which could lead to low job satisfaction. Lack of job satisfaction may lead to medical errors on the part of the health workers, which in turn may cause harm to the patients. The study was aimed at assessing the job satisfaction and burnout levels among registered nurses in the Tamale West and the Tamale Teaching Hospitals, in the Northern Region of Ghana. Methods: The study employed cross-sectional design and convenience sample method to study job satisfaction and burnt among registered nurses in the northern region. The population for the study was registered general nurses in the Tamale Teaching and West Hospitals in the Tamale Metropolis. The Maslach Burnout Inventory and Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire- short form were administered to 400 nurses to measure the burnout and job satisfaction respectively. Results: Generally, job satisfaction level was high with a mean rating score of 79.5%. Participants experienced high job satisfaction intrinsic factors above forty-five percent than extrinsic factors which was also just twenty-four percentage. Factors such as sex and years of professional experience were found to be statistically significantly associated with job satisfaction level (p<0.05). Average rating score of the three dimensions of burnout such as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal accomplishment were above 75%. High level of burnout was found among 58% of the respondents. Conclusion: High levels burnout was identified. This suggests that intervention to reduce burnout among staff should be identified.