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Predictors of Job Satisfaction Among Rural Emergency Medical Technicians

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Theodore W. Whitley ,
Dennis A. Revicki ,
E. Jackson Allison Jr  and
Sandra S. Landis
Theodore W. Whitley*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
Dennis A. Revicki
Affiliation:
Battelle Human Affairs Research Centers, Washington, DC, USA
E. Jackson Allison Jr
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
Sandra S. Landis
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, North Carolina, USA
*
Address for reprints: Theodore W. Whitley, PhD, Department of Emergency Medicine, East Carolina University School of Medicine Brody 4W54, Greenville, NC 27858, Telephone: (919) 551-2954, Telefacsimile: (919) 551-2224, USA
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Abstract

This study investigated the capacity of selected personal and work environment characteristics, in combination with occupational stress, to predict job satisfaction for 495 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) who provided emergency medical services in a rural area in the United States. Using data obtained during a three-year survey, multiple regression analysis identified work group cohesiveness and effective supervisory behavior as the best predictors of job satisfaction. The perceived level of occupational stress and years of experience as an EMT were inversely related to job satisfaction, but EMTs who responded to the survey as they were preparing to enroll in advanced training programs were more satisfied with their jobs than were other subgroups. These results suggest that job satisfaction can be enhanced by reinforcing cooperation and cohesiveness within EMS work groups, by establishing and maintaining effective communication networks between EMS administrators and EMTs, and by providing opportunities for professional growth and development for EMTs.

Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 5 , Issue 3 , September 1990 , pp. 217 - 223
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 1990

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