The happiest healthcare workers

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Just wondering about other healthcare workers and job satisfaction.

Since most of us work so closely with other healthcare workers like physical therapist, respiratory therapist, radiographers, medical technologist, ultrasound techs and the like, which one's seem to be the most satisfied with their jobs?

The nurse's seem to be among the most dissatisfied in general. Could it be that they are the most over worked and therefore, the most stressed? If you have noticed one particular group that seems the most happiest with their profession, clue me in please!

:stone

Specializes in Med-Surg, Long Term Care.
Originally posted by 3rdShiftGuy

From what I've seen the one's who seem to enjoy their work and are the most pleasant to deal with are the Speech Therapists, then PT and OT. The most miserable besides nurses seem to be the respiratory therapists.

That's also been what I've observed, except for OT-- I never see them, as far as I know. Maybe they aren't around 3-11 shift. Also, Dieticians seem pretty happy in their work. I tend to believe what kayelle posted, "It might be the autonomy of [the] job."

I also agree with what batmik posted:

Originally posted by batmik

Remember nursing is the one that usually has the closest contact with the patient, at least in the hospital. The nurses often hears if not bears the brunt of everything that goes on negatively with the patient and/or other departments/ or staff. We are the patients closest advocate and sometimes being a patient advocate isn't the easiest position to be in, but the most important.

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Across the board I think I could agree with just about everything said here. However, what healthcare worker has made national headlines and even the president has addressed a shortage of them in the hospitals, etc. I read somewhere recently where there isn't really a shortage, and there is more than enough nurses to cover the positions. Personally I think they are asked to perform impossible feats. Do the doctor's job and their job too, and know almost as much as the doctor does without going to medical school. Take on more patient's than they can handle. Low pay for what they have to accomplish. Deal with the family members, etc. When something goes wrong, who gets the brunt of the blame? No wonder there are so many nurses leaving, or refuse to work full time if they can manage financially. Nonetheless, there are many that stay because they have loving hands and love doing for others what they can't do for themselves.

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Speech therapy, PT, OT...hmm. I bet they are seen as pleasant because they dont work eves, nites or weekends...or holidays either.

When I was in college I never thought that working a 24/7 job was a problem. Once you get in the real world, you do get resentful of always missing out on social events.

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Sooooo true Liann....my son is taking pre-reqs for PT...I HOPE he sticks to his plan for physical therapy...he would be able to have a 'normal job' with normal hours,weekends & holidays off:)

Being a nurse for 14 years and thinking back about all the special occasions I have missed having to work makes me so sad sometimes...you'll never get those times back :/ I've always worked 'for my son' so he'd have a better life with me being able to provide the best opportunities for him...but I sure hated missing those Christmas's when he was little. I just keep encouraging him in PT so maybe when he has a family he won't have to 'miss out' on the things I did. Not discouraging nurses...don't get me wrong...just saying what I feel I missed out on.

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Nurses that have desk jobs seem to be the happiest to me. Monday thru Friday, 8 to 4, all Holidays off spend a lot of time at the computer type thing. The other day I heard one of them telling a GN what a wonderful career nursing has been for her. I have know her for 20 years, she has never worked a Christmas or Thanksgiving in her life. She takes vacation days around three day Holiday weekends like Labor day and Memorial day and makes it a week. She is a nice person but she is a complete dingbat. I am glad she does not do hands on care, she would kill somebody for sure. The downside is that I have seen her lose her job a couple of times due to cost cutting. She always seems to pop up somewhere else wearing her pumps and her pearls.

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Originally posted by Bambi

Across the board I think I could agree with just about everything said here. However, what healthcare worker has made national headlines and even the president has addressed a shortage of them in the hospitals, etc. I read somewhere recently where there isn't really a shortage, and there is more than enough nurses to cover the positions. Personally I think they are asked to perform impossible feats. Do the doctor's job and their job too, and know almost as much as the doctor does without going to medical school. Take on more patient's than they can handle. Low pay for what they have to accomplish. Deal with the family members, etc. When something goes wrong, who gets the brunt of the blame? No wonder there are so many nurses leaving, or refuse to work full time if they can manage financially. Nonetheless, there are many that stay because they have loving hands and love doing for others what they can't do for themselves.

You hit the nail on the head with that one.

I have a friend who is a laboratory technician. She says she makes great money and loves her job.

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