Evaluation of Staff’s Job Satisfaction in the Spinal Cord Unit in Italy

This study aimed to evaluate the job satisfaction of healthcare professionals working in a Spinal Cord Unit (SCU) in Turin, Italy. The goal was to identify areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction among staff to inform organizational changes and improve service delivery. The researchers used questionnaires, interviews, and shadowing to gather data from doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and health care assistants. The questionnaires assessed various aspects of job satisfaction, including comfort, well-being, safety, and relationships with colleagues and patients. The findings revealed positive aspects such as feeling useful and personally fulfilled in their roles, as well as problematic areas like role conflict and communication issues with managers. The results were intended to guide the development of professional practices that promote integration, information sharing, and staff identification within the organization.

• 1
  Staff reported a general sense of satisfaction with their jobs, particularly regarding their relationships with colleagues and the opportunity to acquire new technologies. They also felt that their work was useful and that they could accommodate patient requests.
• 2
  Participants described their work as physically and mentally demanding, with emotional overload and a strong sense of direct responsibility. Comfort and safety in the workplace were also identified as areas of concern.
• 3
  Role conflicts and communication issues were evident, particularly between physiotherapists and other staff categories. Nurses felt they had a minor role compared to physiotherapists, and physicians felt deprived of their role.