Job satisfaction
Workforce and Leadership
Definition. Job satisfaction is the positive emotional state that results from a person’s evaluation of their job and work experiences.
Explanation
In health care, satisfaction is shaped by workload, autonomy, leadership, pay and the balance between the value of work and its administrative burden (Runnels & Pronovost, 2025). Frameworks for mentally healthy workplaces stress prevention of harm as well as promotion of positive work experiences (Deady et al., 2024).
Low job satisfaction predicts turnover intention and is often studied alongside burnout and engagement.
Related concepts
Burnout Turnover intention Work engagement Organizational commitment
Read on The Health Topics
- Reimagining Healthcare: Maximizing Value, Minimizing Burden
- Framework for Mentally Healthy Workplaces
References
Deady, M., Sanatkar, S., Tan, L., Glozier, N., Gayed, A., Petrie, K., Dalgaard, V. L., Stratton, E., LaMontagne, A. D., & Harvey, S. B. (2024). A mentally healthy framework to guide employers and policy makers. Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1430540. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1430540
Runnels, P., & Pronovost, P. J. (2025). Reducing the value/burden ratio: a key to high performance in value-based care. BMJ Quality & Safety, 34, 133–136. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2024-017591
Cite this entry: Kurutkan, M. N. (2026). Job satisfaction. In The Health Topics glossary. https://healthtopic.org/glossary/job-satisfaction/