Job stress and job satisfaction of physicians, radiographers, nurses and physicists working in radiotherapy: a multicenter analysis by the DEGRO Quality of Life Work Group

Background: Ongoing changes in cancer care cause an increase in the
complexity of cases which is characterized by modern treatment
techniques and a higher demand for patient information about the
underlying disease and therapeutic options. At the same time, the
restructuring of health services and reduced funding have led to
the downsizing of hospital care services. These trends strongly
influence the workplace environment and are a potential source of
stress and burnout among professionals working in radiotherapy.
Methods and patients: A postal survey was sent to members of the
workgroup "Quality of Life" which is part of DEGRO (German Society
for Radiooncology). Thus far, 11 departments have answered the
survey. 406 (76.1%) out of 534 cancer care workers (23% physicians,
35% radiographers, 31% nurses, 11% physicists) from 8 university
hospitals and 3 general hospitals completed the FBAS form (Stress
Questionnaire of Physicians and Nurses; 42 items, 7 scales), and a
self-designed questionnaire regarding work situation and one
question on global job satisfaction. Furthermore, the participants
could make voluntary suggestions about how to improve their
situation. Results: Nurses and physicians showed the highest level
of job stress (total score 2.2 and 2.1). The greatest source of job
stress (physicians, nurses and radiographers) stemmed from
structural conditions (e. g. underpayment, ringing of the
telephone) a "stress by compassion" (e. g. "long suffering of
patients"