Abstract:

Backround: Job satisfaction and burnout are strongly related to qualities of services given. They were affected by a complex network of various factors which may have cultural characteristics. Objectives: To determine job satisfaction and burnout levels of midwives and affecting factors. Methods: The cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 1st, 2nd and 3rd levels health institutions in Aydın. Sample included 193 midwives. Data were collected during 12.2007-01.03.2008 via a questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory and Minnesota Job Satisfaction. Questionnaire by midwives self-reports, and analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, Mann Whitney U tests, Kruskall Wallis, ANOVA and linear regression analyses. Results: Mean age of midwives was 35.35±4.68. 62.7% of them were high school graduate, 87% were married, and 50.8% were working at 1st level health institutions. In general, the job satisfaction of midwives was moderate, but their burnout levels were higher. Internal satisfactions of midwives were higher than their external satisfactions, and they were satisfied by “doing something for others” at most. In contrast, the issue burned out them at most was “solving patients’ problems effectively”. Midwives experience emotionally more burnout. The job satisfactions of midwives were affected especially by finding the profession suitable for self, satisfaction with worked institution and unite, served population size, number of monthly watches and monthly salary, whereas their burnout levels were affected mostly by the suitability of the profession and satisfaction with the worked clinic. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that midwives experience a moderate job satisfaction in dependence of their perception of the profession and working conditions, in contrast, higher burnout. Thus, arrangements aiming at improvements in perceptions of the profession and working conditions would be important

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