Published 2025-11-10
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Abstract
Objective: Assessing the effect of working hours on job satisfaction among healthcare professionals in different specialties throughout Saudi Arabia and determining satisfaction levels among several job categories (physicians, nurses, and allied health personnel) are the goals of the study. Additionally, the study will attempt to evaluate job satisfaction in tertiary hospitals, private healthcare facilities, and government healthcare facilities.
Methods: The study will use a descriptive cross-sectional design with the goal of collecting data from a large number of healthcare professionals who work in Saudi Arabia's public and private healthcare systems at one particular period. In order to find patterns, correlations, and the frequency of satisfaction levels related to working hours across different medical specialties, the design was selected.
Results: The study included 360 participants. The study included 360 participants. The most frequent age among them was 18-28 years old (n=193, 53.6%), followed by 30-39 years old (n=98, 27.2%), then 50-59 years old (n=27, 7.5%). The most frequent gender among study participants was male (n=189, 52.5%) and female (n=171, 47.5%). The most frequent marital status among study participants was Single (n=197, 54.7%), followed by married (n=163, 45.3%). Profession among study participants, with most of them were doctors (n=270, 75%), followed by Nurses (n=43, 11.9%), then lab technicians (n=18, 5%), and Admin/Clerical (n=14, 3.9%), at least pharmacists (n=9, 2.5%). Current workplaces where most of them Government hospitals (n=313, 86.9%), followed by private hospitals (n=28, 7.85), then Health centers (n=10, 2.8%), and at least a clinic (n=28, 7.8%). The participants' Work experience is most of them 1-5 years (n=187, 51.9%), followed by more than 10 years (n=83, 23.1%), then less than a year (n=74, 20.6%), and at least 6-10 years (n=16, 4.4%). The participants' Working hours per week are most of them 41-48 hours (n=213, 59.2%), followed by 49-60 hours (n=57, 15.8%), then less than 40 (n=53, 14.7%), and more than 60 (n=37, 10.3%). Participants were asked Do you suffer from sleep disturbances due to long shifts; Most of them said yes (n=199, 55.3%), followed by sometimes (n=131, 36.4%), then no (n=30, 158.3%). Participants were asked Have you experienced burnout or emotional fatigue in the past 6 months; Most of them said yes (n=223, 61.9%), followed by sometimes (n=106, 29.4%), then no (n=31, 8.6%). Participants were asked Have long working hours led you to consider changing your profession or workplace; Most of them said yes (n=219, 60.8%), followed by no (n=86, 23.9%), then not sure (n=55, 15.3%).
Conclusion: The study showed that age, profession, workplace, years of experience, and working hours are clearly associated with sleep disturbances among healthcare workers, while gender and marital status show no such association.