Job Satisfaction and Associated Factors among Health Professionals Working at Public and Private Hospitals in Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Job satisfaction is a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from evaluating one's job or job experiences. However, knowledge of workplace factors that either satisfy employees to keep working or dissatisfy them making them leave their jobs or working places is essential for decision-making. Thus, this study is aimed at assessing job satisfaction and associated factors among healthcare professionals working at public and private hospitals in Bahir Dar city, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: An institution-based comparative cross-sectional study design was conducted from 10 February 2020 to 29 May 2020. A total of 520 health professionals were selected from public and private health facilities using stratified systematic random sampling techniques. Data were collected using structured pretested self-administered questionnaires. A binary logistic regression model with Huber-White robust standard error was fitted to identify job satisfaction and associated factors among healthcare professionals working at public and private hospitals. A less than 0.05 p value and an Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were considered to have a statistically significant association with the outcome variable. RESULTS: The overall magnitude of job satisfaction was 55.2% (95% CI: 51.0, 59.4%). At public and private hospitals, the provider's satisfaction was 29.0% (95% CI: 23.2, 35.1%) and 81.23% (95% CI: 76.6, 85.8%), respectively. Working at private hospital (AOR: 8.89; 95% CI: 5.14, 15.35), pleasant nature of work (AOR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.05, 3.15), autonomy (AOR: 2.37; 95% CI: 1.29, 4.33), adequate supportive supervision (AOR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.33, 4.40), good reward and recognition (AOR: 3.04; 95% CI: 1.37, 6.75), and high normative commitment (AOR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.48, 4.43) were factors affecting the overall job satisfaction of health professionals. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of job satisfaction was relatively low in private and public hospital health professionals and severe among health professionals working in public hospitals. Healthcare policy-makers and hospital managers need to develop and institutionalize evidence-based satisfaction strategies considering the predictors of health professional's job satisfaction.