BackgroundThere is evidence that occupational stress is a risk factor for turnover intentions. However, the structural relationship between occupational stress and turnover intention among emergency physicians has rarely been studied. This study aimed to examine the pathways of occupational stress on turnover intention through job satisfaction and depressive symptoms among emergency physicians in China.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in China from July 2018 to August 2018. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, occupational stress, job satisfaction, depressive symptoms, and turnover intention. Hierarchical linear regression was performed to explore the related factors of turnover intention. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the pathways from occupational stress to turnover intention.ResultsA total of 10,457 emergency physicians completed the questionnaire. The score of turnover intention was 11.34 (SD = 3.25), and the average item score of turnover intention was 2.84 (SD = 0.81). In structural equation modeling, the occupational stress not only had a direct effect on turnover intention (standardized direct effect = 0.311, bias-corrected 95% confidence interval [0.261, 0.361], P < 0.001), but also had an indirect effect through job satisfaction and depressive symptoms (standardized indirect effect = 0.448, bias-corrected 95% confidence interval [0.412, 0.484], P < 0.001). However, the effect of depressive symptoms on turnover intention was weak (standardized coefficient [β] = 0.08, P < 0.001).ConclusionsJob satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between occupational stress and turnover intention. However, due to the weak effect of depressive symptoms on turnover intention, the mediating role of depressive symptoms between occupational and turnover intention had little practical value. It is recommended that hospital administrators prioritize increasing job satisfaction of emergency physicians to reduce the impact of occupational stress on their turnover intention.

BackgroundJob satisfaction is recognized as an important factor affecting the performance and quality of medical services of emergency department physicians. However, little is known about the status of job satisfaction among emergency department physicians in China. This study aimed to explore the current level of job satisfaction and its associated factors among emergency department physicians in China.MethodsA nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted in China from July to August 2018. A total of 10,457 emergency department physicians completed the questionnaire. The structured online questionnaire collected information on socio-demographic characteristics, work-related factors, work-family conflict, and job satisfaction. Student's t-test or ANOVA were used to compare the job satisfaction scores in different characters. The generalized linear model was used to investigate the related factors of job satisfaction among emergency department physicians.ResultsThe respondents' job satisfaction average score was 12.2 ± 3.6, of which 42.01% were satisfied of which the job. The results showed that emergency department physicians over 41 years old, with a higher income and working in central and western regions were positively associated with job satisfaction. In contrast, bachelor degree and above, fixed posts, long years of service, a high frequency of night shift, perceived shortage of physicians, perceived medical errors, and higher work-family conflict scores were negatively correlated with job satisfaction among emergency department physicians.ConclusionJob satisfaction of emergency department physicians in China is low. It is suggested that hospital administrators could improve the job satisfaction of emergency department physicians by establishing an acceptable shift system, ensuring adequate emergency department staffing, increasing their income appropriately and alleviating work-family conflict.