title: The professional image anticipated by anaesthesiologists.
abstract: The perspective of anaesthesiologists regarding their professional image in the eyes of colleagues and the public was assessed. A self-reporting questionnaire (Instrument for Stress-related Job Analysis) was completed by 125 anaesthesiologists. Respondents' self-image and presumed image in the eyes of colleagues do not give a bright picture of the anaesthesiologist's role. The anticipated image showed significantly more anaesthesiologists who presumed low professional recognition by their colleagues from other specialties (P = 0.002) and the lay public (P = 0.015) than those who assumed high marks. Presumed colleague opinion correlated significantly with characteristics of job satisfaction including the possibility to co-determine sequence of operations (P = 0.006), recognition of suggestions and ideas (P = 0.007) and fellow support (P = 0.001). Regarding working conditions the possibility to actively control operational procedures also significantly correlated with colleague opinion (P = 0.003). The authors conclude that the possibility to actively influence quality and pace of work on a par with surgical colleagues could help boost self-esteem and self-confidence in anaesthesiologists. Furthermore, positive image promotion in cooperating medical professions and the public could help focus more attention on the important contribution of anaesthesiology to modern medicine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr. 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. wolfgang.lederer@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lederer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Traweger
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kinzl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000639:trends*; D001317:Austria; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010820:Physicians; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland