Abstract |
Introduction: The quality of work life among care providers has been researched
with great interest in the recent years due to its associations with work
productivity and quality of life.
Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the quality of professional life
among health professionals working in Special Education schools in Crete,
Greece, in relation to their demographic and occupational characteristics.
Methods: A sample of 108 out of all 140 health professionals (response rate
77,15%) completed an anonymous questionnaire which included the Professional
Quality of Life (ProQOL – V) that measures compassion satisfaction, the risk for
burnout and the risk for secondary traumatic stress.
Results: Special Education workers had a medium to high level of compassion
satisfaction; 66,7% of the sample was at medium risk for burnout and 65,7% was
at small risk for compassion fatigue. In multivariable regression models, family
status was related to burnout and compassion satisfaction. Married professionals
were at lower risk for burnout and had a higher level of compassion satisfaction.
The latter seemed to be correlated to the number of children that health care
professionals provide daily support to. Gender was related to the risk for
compassion fatigue, as women were at higher risk compared to men. Work
experience was related to the risk for burnout, as the more experienced
personnel was at higher risk.
Conclusion and recommendations: The levels of compassion satisfaction,
medium risk of burnout and low risk of compassion fatigue are indicative of a
satisfying quality of professional life among health professionals who take care of
children with disabilities. Future research should estimate the quality of work life all over Greece, taking into account other demographic, occupational or
individual characteristics, such as working hours, employment position, pupils’
age etc.
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