An Evaluation of Retention Strategies in Educational and Private Hospitals in Benghazi: Insights from Healthcare Providers' Satisfaction and Administrative Perspectives

Background: Job satisfaction and effective retention strategies are essential for the stability of health systems (HS), stable systems are the basis for consistent, high-quality care and equitable access to services. Aim: To assess the presence of an efficient retention strategy in public and private hospitals in Benghazi. To measure HCWs' job satisfaction rate. Materials and Methods: This study is a descriptive quantitative, cross–sectional study done in four public and two private hospitals in Benghazi, which are the biggest teaching hospitals that agreed to participate in the study, during two months from January and February 2024. Ethical approval (IRB) was obtained from the research ethical committee (REC) of the Libyan International University (LIMU). Two questionnaires were used: The first questionnaire was used for HCWs (doctors and nurses) to examine the satisfaction rate. The second questionnaire for the administrators of the six hospitals to asses the presence or absence of retention strategy. Results: Despite the results of the research indicating that there is a retention strategy in two-thirds of hospitals (66.6%), the overall job satisfaction rate of doctors and nurses in these six hospitals (public and private) was satisfactory (2.49. The lowest satisfaction rates were recorded in the doctor's resting place, and the highest satisfaction rates in the study. Conclusion: The research results indicated a satisfactory job satisfaction rate of HCWs in both public and private sectors, although there is a retention strategy in more than half of the facilities. The discrepancy in the results can be due to either the retention strategic plan being deficient, not well applied. Also in the private sector, which was suffering from noticeable dissatisfaction, which was due to the higher expectations of its employees than in the public sector.