Job resources in Dutch dental practice.
OBJECTIVE
To develop an instrument measuring job resources among dentists, and to assess the relative importance of these resources and relate them to job satisfaction.


METHODS
848 Dutch general dental practitioners (GDPs) received a questionnaire to monitor work experiences, including the Dentists' Experienced Job Resources Scale (DEJRS, 46 items, score range: 1 (not satisfying) to 5 (very satisfying), and the Dentist Job Satisfaction Scale (DJSS, 5 items, Cronbach's alpha = 0.85).


RESULTS
A total of 497 (58.6%) dentists responded. Factor analysis (PCA) on the DEJRS resulted in 8 factors (Cronbach's alpha: 0.75 > alpha < 0.89), representing distinguishable categories of job resources. In rank order: Immediate Results / Aesthetics (M = 4.04, sd = 0.5); (Long-term) Patient Results (M = 4.03, sd = 0.6); Patient Care (M = 3.90, sd = 0.6); Craftmanship (M = 3.77, sd = 0.7); Idealism / Pride (M = 3.65, sd= 0.6); Entrepreneurship (M = 3.55, sd = 0.9); Material Benefits (M = 3.05, sd = 0.7); and Professional Contacts (M = 3.03, sd = 0.7). MANOVA indicated gender differences on: (Long-term) Patient Results (F(1,548) = 10.428, p = .001), and Patient Care (F(1,548) = 11.036, p < .001). Subscale correlations with the total DEJRS are: 0.57 > r < 0.88. All subscales show a positive correlation with the DJSS.


CONCLUSIONS
The DEJRS is a valuable and psychometrically sound instrument to monitor job resources as experienced by GDPs. Dentists report immediate results and aesthetics, and long-term results of working with patients to be the most rewarding aspects. All job resources showed a positive correlation with job satisfaction. The discussion includes conjecture that stimulating a greater awareness of job resources serves a major role in burnout prevention.
Gorter
R C
RC
Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, Dept of Social Dentistry and Behavioural Sciences, Universiteit van Amsterdam, The Netherlands. R.Gorter@acta.nl
te Brake
J H M
JH
Eijkman
M A J
MA
Hoogstraten
Joh
J
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003729:Dental Care / Q000523:psychology; D003812:Dentist-Patient Relations; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology*; D016520:Entrepreneurship; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D011215:Practice Management, Dental; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome