Association of professional identity, job satisfaction and burnout with turnover intention among general practitioners in China: evidence from a national survey

Abstract

Background The complex interrelationships between professional identity, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intention among general practitioners (GPs) are insufficiently understood in China. This study aimed to investigate the interrelationships between professional identity, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intention in China, and to examine whether job satisfaction and burnout played mediating roles between professional identity and turnover intention. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October, 2017 and February, 2018 in China. The participants were selected using a multistage stratified random sampling method. Data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire from 3236 GPs (response rate, 99.8%) working in community health institutions in China. Professional identity was measured by the 13 items scale, and job satisfaction scale with an 11-item designed by Shi et al. was employed. Burnout was measured using a 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey, and turnover intention was measured with a 6 items scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated and groups’ differences were estimated Student’s t-test and analyses of variance. Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to assess the degree of correlation among different dimensions of professional identity, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intention. Structural equation modeling analysis was applied to examine the interrelationships among these study variables based on the hypothesized model. Results The proposed model achieved a good model fit. Job satisfaction had a direct negative effect on turnover intention (β = − 0.38, P < 0.001), burnout had a direct positive effect on turnover intention (β = 0.37, P < 0.001), and professional identity had an indirect negative effect on turnover intention through the mediating effect of job satisfaction and burnout. Conclusions Our study elucidated the pathways linking professional identity, job satisfaction, and burnout to turnover intention of GPs. This revealed that turnover intention was significantly affected by job satisfaction and burnout, and the effects of professional identity on turnover intention can be mediated by job satisfaction and burnout.

Mental health symptoms in Australian general practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Burnout can be detrimental, at both personal and professional levels, including increased risk of substance abuse and suicide, and impaired quality of patient care (Lebares et al 2018;Hert 2020;Iacobucci 2021). Moreover, one study showed that burnout had a direct effect on GPs' turnover intention (Zhang et al 2021). Similar to the UK, the Australian PHC workforce has been under a significant amount of pressure for some time, with the ever-expanding workload due to GP shortage, (The Guardian 2021) and the growing aging population (Dingwall et al 2020).…”

Career Calling as the Mediator and Moderator of Job Demands and Job Resources for Job Satisfaction in Health Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Health professionals with a high level of job satisfaction are more likely to provide high-quality healthcare for patients. On the other hand, a low level of job satisfaction may reflect decision-making and hospital management problems, adversely affecting the quality and efficiency of health services, harming doctor–patient relationships, and reducing patient satisfaction ( Zhang et al, 2021 ). Therefore, investigating the factors that influence the job satisfaction of health professionals can help inform healthcare policies and provide meaningful insights for increasing their job satisfaction.…”

Challenges facing Chinese primary care in the context of COVID-19

“… 17 The second is to strengthen the professional confidence of GPs and encourage more medical students to engage in general practice. According to a survey, 18 Chinese GPs generally hold a negative attitude towards their professional status, which was mainly reflected in income level, occupational risk, and social respect, but they were optimistic about the development expectations in the next 3 years. 14 In recent years, China’s Ministry of Health has greatly improved the quantity and quality of GPs through targeted training and talent introduction.…”

“… 4 , 19 Nowadays, some people have prejudice against GPs, which has a negative impact on medical students’ career choices and the development of general practice. 9 , 18 It is necessary to change the public’s cognitive prejudice and traditional employment concept, and guide GPs to realize their professional value in grass-roots work.…”