Motives for choice of work in healthcare and individual performance of medical doctors working in public multispecialty hospitals in Warsaw

ObjectiveThis study explores the relationship between the motives driving people to work in healthcare and the individual work performance of public hospital doctors. The results are analyzed in terms of changes necessary to improve work performance among medical practitioners.MethodsA cross-section...

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Main Authors: Malgorzata Chmielewska, Jakub Stokwiszewski, Justyna Markowska, Tomasz Hermanowski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Medicine
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1456341/full
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author Malgorzata Chmielewska
Jakub Stokwiszewski
Justyna Markowska
Tomasz Hermanowski
author_facet Malgorzata Chmielewska
Jakub Stokwiszewski
Justyna Markowska
Tomasz Hermanowski
author_sort Malgorzata Chmielewska
collection DOAJ
description ObjectiveThis study explores the relationship between the motives driving people to work in healthcare and the individual work performance of public hospital doctors. The results are analyzed in terms of changes necessary to improve work performance among medical practitioners.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 249 medical doctors from 22 randomly selected inpatient departments of multidisciplinary public hospitals in Warsaw. Data were collected using self-administered structured questionnaires developed by WHO. Herzberg model as modified by the authors was used to identify key motives for choosing a job in healthcare. A chi-square test was used to analyze the correlations between the reasons for choosing to work as a medical practitioner and socio-demographic variables. The interdependence between individual performance and the main reason for choosing a career in healthcare was examined with a Kruskal-Wallis test.ResultsThe research results indicate a statistically significant relationship between the main motive for choosing a career in healthcare—namely, the individual motivation of hospital doctors, and individual work performance as measured by “notion that my work is valuable in itself” (p = 0.003) and “responsibility for outcomes” (p = 0.024) response categories. Doctors whose main motive for choosing the profession was to help patients are more likely to feel high satisfaction with “The notion that my work is valuable in itself” than others (42.5% vs. 27.0% for “other” and 28.3% for “Nature of the work itself”) and with “The sense of responsibility for the outcomes” (50.0% vs. 35.1% for “other” and 36.3% for “Nature of the work itself”).ConclusionsWhen examining factors affecting the professional performance of medical doctors, aspects related to the original main motive for choosing this profession and for working in the healthcare must not be disregarded. The distinctive features of this profession, including personal qualities, should perhaps be considered in the admission criteria for medical studies.
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spelling doaj-art-16c13772f0e647878cc7293dfde2f5e22025-02-06T07:10:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2025-02-011210.3389/fmed.2025.14563411456341Motives for choice of work in healthcare and individual performance of medical doctors working in public multispecialty hospitals in WarsawMalgorzata Chmielewska0Jakub Stokwiszewski1Justyna Markowska2Tomasz Hermanowski3Pharmacy Division, Department of Forensic Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, PolandNational Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene, Warsaw, PolandPharmacy Division, Department of Forensic Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, PolandPharmacy Division, Department of Forensic Pharmacy, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, PolandObjectiveThis study explores the relationship between the motives driving people to work in healthcare and the individual work performance of public hospital doctors. The results are analyzed in terms of changes necessary to improve work performance among medical practitioners.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 249 medical doctors from 22 randomly selected inpatient departments of multidisciplinary public hospitals in Warsaw. Data were collected using self-administered structured questionnaires developed by WHO. Herzberg model as modified by the authors was used to identify key motives for choosing a job in healthcare. A chi-square test was used to analyze the correlations between the reasons for choosing to work as a medical practitioner and socio-demographic variables. The interdependence between individual performance and the main reason for choosing a career in healthcare was examined with a Kruskal-Wallis test.ResultsThe research results indicate a statistically significant relationship between the main motive for choosing a career in healthcare—namely, the individual motivation of hospital doctors, and individual work performance as measured by “notion that my work is valuable in itself” (p = 0.003) and “responsibility for outcomes” (p = 0.024) response categories. Doctors whose main motive for choosing the profession was to help patients are more likely to feel high satisfaction with “The notion that my work is valuable in itself” than others (42.5% vs. 27.0% for “other” and 28.3% for “Nature of the work itself”) and with “The sense of responsibility for the outcomes” (50.0% vs. 35.1% for “other” and 36.3% for “Nature of the work itself”).ConclusionsWhen examining factors affecting the professional performance of medical doctors, aspects related to the original main motive for choosing this profession and for working in the healthcare must not be disregarded. The distinctive features of this profession, including personal qualities, should perhaps be considered in the admission criteria for medical studies.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1456341/fullmotivationwork performancehealthcare sectorhospitalsphysicians
spellingShingle Malgorzata Chmielewska
Jakub Stokwiszewski
Justyna Markowska
Tomasz Hermanowski
Motives for choice of work in healthcare and individual performance of medical doctors working in public multispecialty hospitals in Warsaw
Frontiers in Medicine
motivation
work performance
healthcare sector
hospitals
physicians
title Motives for choice of work in healthcare and individual performance of medical doctors working in public multispecialty hospitals in Warsaw
title_full Motives for choice of work in healthcare and individual performance of medical doctors working in public multispecialty hospitals in Warsaw
title_fullStr Motives for choice of work in healthcare and individual performance of medical doctors working in public multispecialty hospitals in Warsaw
title_full_unstemmed Motives for choice of work in healthcare and individual performance of medical doctors working in public multispecialty hospitals in Warsaw
title_short Motives for choice of work in healthcare and individual performance of medical doctors working in public multispecialty hospitals in Warsaw
title_sort motives for choice of work in healthcare and individual performance of medical doctors working in public multispecialty hospitals in warsaw
topic motivation
work performance
healthcare sector
hospitals
physicians
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1456341/full
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AT justynamarkowska motivesforchoiceofworkinhealthcareandindividualperformanceofmedicaldoctorsworkinginpublicmultispecialtyhospitalsinwarsaw
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