Effects of Job Satisfaction and Work Experience on Critical Thinking and Mindfulness of Physiotherapists: A Cross-Sectional Study

Objective: The aim was to investigate the effects of job satisfaction and work experience on physiotherapists' critical thinking and mindfulness. Material and Method: One hundred thirty physiotherapists (age: 29.00 (5.00) years) were included. Participants' job satisfaction with the Job Satisfaction Scale, professional experience with self-reports, critical thinking with the Marmara Critical Thinking Disposition Scale, and mindfulness with the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (Short Form) were questioned via an online platform. Data analysis was performed using Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: The median active working duration of the participants was 5.00 (1.00-29.00) years. Correlations were found between job satisfaction and reaching judgment (p=0.02, rho=0.20), open-mindedness subdimensions (p=0.05, rho=0.17), and the total score of critical thinking dimension (p=0.04, rho=0.17), and non-reactivity (p=0.03, rho=0.18) and observing subdimensions (p=0.03, rho=0.19) of mindfulness dimension. Work experience dimension correlated with acting with awareness (p=0.01, rho=0.21) and observing (p=0.04, rho=-0.18) subdimensions of mindfulness. Conclusion: A weak positive relationship was found between job satisfaction, work experience parameters, critical thinking, and mindfulness levels. Examining this relationship regarding the accuracy and quality of the service provided may be essential