title: Evaluation of Staff's Job Satisfaction in the Spinal Cord Unit in Italy.
abstract: In July 2007 a Spinal Cord Unit was set up in Turin (Italy) within the newly integrated structure of the Orthopaedic Traumatologic Centre, warranting a multidisciplinary and professional approach according to International Guidelines. This approach will be possible through experimentation of a personalized care model. To analyze job satisfaction of health care professionals operating within the Spinal Cord Unit, preliminary to organizational change. Data collection was carried out by using questionnaires, interviews, shadowing. Results from quantitative analysis on the self-filled questionnaires were integrated with results from qualitative analysis. All the health care professionals operating in the field were involved. Positive aspects were the perception of carrying out a useful job, the feeling of personal fulfilment and the wish to engage new energies and resources. Problematic aspects included role conflict among staff categories and communication with managers. The positive aspects can be exploited to create professional practices facilitating role and expertise integration, information spreading and staff identification within the organization rather than team work. Data of job satisfaction and self efficacy of health care workers can be considered basic requirement before implementing an organizational change. The main challenges is multiprofessional collaboration.
authors.affiliation: City Hospital Health and Science of the City of Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cominetti
authors.forename: Garrino
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lorenza
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Decorte
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Felisi
authors.forename: Ebe
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Matta
authors.forename: Maria Vittoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Actis
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carone
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gregorino
authors.forename: Dimonte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Valerio
keywords: Job satisfaction; interprofessional relations.; nursing; rehabilitation; spinal cord injuries; teamwork