Positive Impact of Professionalism on the Perception of Global Well-Being: A Study in Healthcare Professionals Starting Their First Working Experience in Peruvian Rural Areas

摘要

Introduction: In Peru, recently graduated physicians and nurses who are willing to start working in the public healthcare system, first have to work in their newly acquired profession in the programme denominated “ Servicio Rural Urbano y Marginal de Salud ” (SERUMS). The SERUMS programme is a 1-year contract in rural areas of the country. The aim of this study was to confirm the following hypothesis: the development of abilities associated to professionalism has a positive effect on the perception of global well-being in the professionals beginning SERUMS. Material and methods: In the study two cohorts of medical and nursing professionals that started SERUMS in 2017 and 2019 were included. The perception of global well-being and general health condition were measured with the Scale of Life Satisfaction (SWLS) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), respectively. Professionalism was measured using Jefferson's scales of empathy (JSE), teamwork (JSAPNC), and lifelong learning (JeffSPLL). An analysis in phases using the R language was applied to develop a multiple regression model that would explain the lineal relationship between the global perception of well-being and the studied variables. Results: The study sample included 303 professionals (108 men and 195 women) with a mean age of 26 years, ranging from 22 to 39 years ( SD = 4). Based on their profession, 230 were medical doctors and 67 were nurses. The multiple regression model evidenced that age ( p 0.001), social dysfunction ( p 0.001), severe depression ( p 0.001), and inter-professional collaborative work abilities ( p 0.001) explain 38% of the variability in the global perception of well-being. Moreover, a second model explained 44% of the variability in the inter-professional collaborative work abilities based on a lineal relationship with empathy ( p 0.001), lifelong learning ( p 0.001), and future professional orientation ( p = 0.01). Both models complied with the necessary conditions for statistic inference and showed large effect sizes. Conclusions: These findings confirm that professionalism has an important role in improving the global well-being of the professionals initiating SERUMS. This influence is direct in the case of inter-professional collaborative work, whereas it is indirect in the case of empathy and lifelong learning.