OBJECTIVES: This study looked into the relationship between stress and the level of job satisfaction among the Burnt Unit staff of UP-PGH. Emphasis was placed in identifying the common stressors that the Burn Unit Staff of UP-PGH experience as a result of their day to day work in a critical care setting.The level of job satisfaction among staff was also determined.
METHODOLOGY: Questionnaires assessing stress and job satisfaction were handed out to all the 31 participants of the study. The study population included 10 doctors and 21 nurses who had worked at the Burn Unit during the period of March to September 2007. Odds ratios were computed to determine if the presence of stress affects the level of job satisfaction among the Burn Unit Staff of UP-PGH. The resulting odds ratios were further tested for statistical significance using Fisher exact test and confidence limits.
RESULTS: Of the 31 survey forms initially handed out to the Burn Unit staff, only 28 forms were completed and returned to the investigator at the end of the study period. Two items in the Stressful Situations Questionnaire were rated to be "stressful" by majority (>50%) of the respondents. Twenty-five percent of the respondents obtained positive scores in the Job Dissatisfaction Scale and were classified as being "dissatisfied" with their jobs. Twenty-two situations in the Stressful Situations Questionnaire were found to be significantly associated with job dissatisfaction among the Burn Unit staff of UP-PGH. These situations concerned the following areas: relationship with patients, family rejection, identification with the patient, deterioration and complications, job criticism, workspace, daily work, and therapeutic decisions.
CONCLUSIONS: From the results of the study, recommendations were made to promote a system of stress-reduction for the Burn Unit staff. Regular group psychosocial processing sessions can be provided to allow the staff to ventilate their thoughts and feelings regarding personal and professional concerns. Team building activities for the staff can likewise be scheduled regularly to help solidify the group and resolve interpersonal conflicts among them. Future researchers could explore if a difference exists between the nurses and surgery residents in terms of their perceived stressors and their level of job satisfaction with their work in the Burn Unit.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Job Satisfaction ; Nurses ; Critical Care ; Questionnaires

Objectives: This study described the demographic and clinical profile, mental health problems, prevalence of psychiatric conditions, psychosocial interventions used, and outcomes of the management of mental health problems among in-patients admitted to non-psychiatry units of tertiary hospitals referred to mental health care providers; and described gender-disaggregated data related to mental health care providers and patients receiving psychosocial interventions in tertiary hospitals. Methods: This study employed a mixed-method design, using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies following the convergence model of triangulation. The following were the data sources: (1) cross-sectional review of charts of patients referred for psychosocial problems using the ICD-10 classification; (2) a survey of mental health service providers; (3) key informant interviews of mental health service providers; and (4) focus group discussions of mental health providers. All data were collated, compared, and contrasted, then analyzed using the convergence model of triangulation design. Results: Among the 3,502 patients in the chart review, 1,870 (53.40%) were males. The median age was 46.08 years and 92.06% were adults. The most common diagnosis among the patients were mood disorder (744, 21.25%) and organic mental disorder (710, 20.27%). Combination treatment of psychosocial intervention and pharmacology was the most common strategy received by patients. There was a higher proportion of patients admitted to public hospitals (996, 45.27%) who received psychosocial interventions only compared to those admitted to private hospitals (235, 18.05%). There were 3,453 out of 3,502 in-patients referred for psychiatric intervention. Of these 2,420 (70%) received psychoeducation, 2,365 (68.5%), received supportive psychotherapy/counseling, 535 (15.5%) family therapy, and 286 (8.3%) behavior modification. There were more patients given psychosocial interventions 2,541 (72.56%) who were discharged with instruction to follow-up, while around one in 10 (456, 13.02%) was not instructed to do a follow-up consultation. The types of interventions across all data sources were similar. Conclusion The most common type of management for psychosocial problems of in-patients in tertiary hospitals was a combination of psychosocial intervention and pharmacotherapy. Psychoeducation, supportive psychotherapy/ counseling, and family therapy were the most often given psychosocial interventions. The patient-related reasons for the choice of interventions were patient’s medical status (diagnosis and severity of symptoms) and psychological status (psychological mindedness), while the provider-related factors influencing the choice of intervention were provider’s skills and personal preference. Moreover, resources (human and material) and service provision policies (treatment guidelines and aftercare interventions) were the most common hospital-related factors. Further prospective research to determine the associated patients, providers, and hospital factors in larger geographic and cultural settings will provide evidence for the effectiveness and outcomes of psychosocial interventions.
Psychosocial