A qualitative study on factors influencing the situational and contextual motivation of medical specialists

Abstract

Objectives The aim was to investigate which factors influence the situational motivation of medical specialists and how situational and contextual motivation affect one another. Methods A qualitative design was used, and a constructivist approach was adopted with the Self-Determination Theory of motivation as a framework. Twenty-two medical specialists from three medical centers in the Netherlands were recruited through convenience, snowball and purposive sampling and observed for two days each. At the end of the second observation day, a semi-structured interview was conducted. Data were transcribed and coded in an open manner. Themes were finalized through discussion and consensus. Results Two-hundred and fifty hours of observation data together with the interview data identified that medical specialists experience six main themes influencing their situational motivation during a workday. Technical issues are influencing motivation negatively factors. Working with colleagues can be both a motivating factor and influence motivation negatively, e.g., filling in for each other through feelings of relatedness was motivating. Being in control of one’s own planning through feelings of autonomy was motivating. Patient care, especially in combination with teaching, stimulated specialists’ motivation. Conclusions The results indicate that factors influencing motivation negatively are mainly tasks and organizational processes that distract from patient care or that compromise the quality of care. When optimizing the work environment of medical specialists, autonomous motivation and continuing professional development are stimulated. These, in turn, can improve the quality of patient care and wellbeing of specialists.

Exploring Factors Associated With the Motivation of Clinical Pharmacists: A Focus on the South African Context

“…Factors previously found to influence the motivation of health care professionals are patient care, working with colleagues, work environment, technical issues, organizational and administrative tasks, job content and financial benefits (9,16). Similar to any other healthcare profession, the universal performance of clinical pharmacists depends on their motivation and job satisfaction derived from certain intrinsic and extrinsic motivators (17)(18)(19).…”

“…Similar to any other healthcare profession, the universal performance of clinical pharmacists depends on their motivation and job satisfaction derived from certain intrinsic and extrinsic motivators (17)(18)(19). Where motivation is negatively influenced, feelings of emotional frustration are evoked, in turn decreasing the wellbeing, performance and, thus the quality of patient care (9). Additionally, job dissatisfaction is related to burnout, which is associated with negative effects on professional well-being (19)(20)(21)(22).…”

“…Additionally, lack of motivation has been identified in South Africa (SA) as a factor for the scarce number of pharmacists working in the wards ( 8 ). In spite of this, there is a lack of qualitative research on the work motivation of medical specialists ( 9 ), especially investigation into the motivation of clinical pharmacists. Limited data are available on the application of motivational theories to address motivation-related issues among healthcare workers in Africa.…”

“…The motivation of professionals plays a vital role in professional development and in their overall quality of work and performance ( 9 , 10 ). Self-determination Theory (SDT) is among the current major motivational theories in psychology, as well as in Health Professions Education.…”

“…Self-determination Theory (SDT) is among the current major motivational theories in psychology, as well as in Health Professions Education. Research on SDT has been applied effectively to examine what motivates individuals to work, however there is a scarcity of existing literature on work performance motivation and its determinants ( 9 ), as well as the use of SDT in the profession of clinical pharmacy. SDT describes motivation as dynamic and dependent on three basic psychological needs (BPNs), i.e., autonomy (experiencing a sense of volition), competence (feeling capable of achieving targeted outcomes) and relatedness (feeling connected to others).…”