OBJECTIVE: Little is known about job satisfaction among renal dietitians. We sought to determine overall job satisfaction and specific domains of job satisfaction among renal dietitians. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: A total of 46 outpatient hemodialysis facilities in northeast Ohio. PARTICIPANTS: A group of 40 renal dietitians. INTERVENTION: Structured questionnaire. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Overall job satisfaction; specific domains of job satisfaction, workload, and suggestions for improving job satisfaction. RESULTS: Of all responding dietitians, 78% expressed overall satisfaction with their job. Dietitians were least satisfied with opportunities for advancement (13%), supervisors' handling of employees (50%), the chance to be somebody in the community (53%), praise received for doing a good job (55%), and amount of work assigned (58%). Dietitians were most satisfied with the chance to do things for others (98%). A higher patient-to-renal dietitian ratio was associated with lower overall jobsatisfaction and a reduced likelihood that renal dietitians would recommend their career to others. The most common suggestions for improving job satisfaction consisted of reducing paperwork (named by 28% of dietitians), spending more time with patients (23%), and increasing time for creative projects (18%). CONCLUSIONS: Although renal dietitians generally expressed overall satisfaction with their jobs, almost all were dissatisfied with opportunities for advancement, and nearly half were dissatisfied with other specific aspects of their work. We urge local and national associations of renal dietitians to collaborate with dialysis facilities, chains, and regulatory agencies to improve job satisfaction. Further research is needed to determine the impact of job satisfaction of renal dietitians on patient outcomes.
展开▼
