Job satisfaction among physiotherapists working in government hospitals in the Western province, Sri Lanka: A descriptive cross-sectional study

Background & Aim: Job satisfaction refers to an individual's favourable attitude toward their work, and it improves employee performance. This study aimed to assess job satisfaction and related factors among physiotherapists working in government hospitals in the Western province of Sri Lanka.Methods: Data were collected from 135 consented physiotherapists working in teaching, base, rehabilitation, and district general government hospitals in the Western province of Sri Lanka, using a validated survey questionnaire adopted from Spector’s Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS), which consisted of nine dimensions. Demographic and work-related information were also collected. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis were performed using SPSS.Results: The response rate was 76.6% (144 out of 188), however, only 135 participants completed the full questionnaire. Out of the 135 participants, 70 (51.9%) were females. The majority were between 31-40 years of age (50.4%), married (70.4%), degree holders (56.3%), and 6-10 years of work experience (54.1%). In the assessment of overall job satisfaction, 39 (28.8%) were satisfied, 85 (62.9 %) were ambivalent, and 11 (8.1%) were dissatisfied. The highest level of job satisfaction was seen in the domain of the nature of work (85.7%) and lowest level of job satisfaction was observed in the domain of promotions (38.76%). A positive correlation was observed between coworkers, nature of work, communication, and supervision (all p<0.01), and operating conditions (p<0.05) with the level of job satisfaction. Predictors of job satisfaction were identified as the nature of work (β=0.98, p<0.001) and co-worker relationships (β =-0.19, p<0.001). Demographic characteristics and work experience showed no significant association with job satisfaction.Conclusions & Recommendations: Most participants were ambivalent about their job satisfaction. To uplift the overall job satisfaction of physiotherapists, it is recommended that policies related to payments, promotions, and fringe benefits be strengthened. Further studies representing all physiotherapists in Sri Lanka is also encouraged.