Confidence is up among healthcare workers, increasing 2.9 points to a level of 58.0 in the first quarter of 2014, according to the Randstad Healthcare Employee Confidence Index.
The online study was conducted among 158 healthcare professionals, including physicians, administrators and nurses.
Job security is particularly high among healthcare workers, according to the survey, with 72 percent of respondents confident they will not lose their jobs in the next 12 months, a slight decline from 75 percent in the fourth quarter of 2013.
"This sentiment is likely to continue, given several macro-level changes resulting from healthcare reform, including the start of federal payments to hospitals being tied to patient satisfaction and experience," Randstad's statement notes. "Hospitals and healthcare systems will be dependent on sufficient staff-to-patient ratios to ensure quality care is delivered, making retention of existing healthcare professionals crucial."
The percentage of healthcare workers who said fewer jobs were available is in decline, at 48 percent, down 8 points from the fourth quarter of 2013. A majority--61 percent--also said they believe they could find a new job in the next 12 months, which is consistent with current dynamics in the job market, according to the statement. This is unchanged from the previous quarter. The percentage of workers looking for new jobs is down; only 33 percent of healthcare workers say they are likely to look for a new job in the next 12 months, a steep drop from 46 percent in Q4 2013.
The number of healthcare workers who say the economy is getting stronger remains low, at 29 percent, but it is still on the rise compared to 24 percent last quarter, according to Randstad.
Despite the high overall employee confidence, it is still down slightly from the third quarter of 2013, when it reached 59.2, the highest level since the first quarter of 2012, FierceHealthcare previously reported.
To learn more:
- read the survey results
- read the statement