How clinical expertise drives job satisfaction in Danish hospitals

How can hospitals attract and retain qualified physicians to address critical staff shortages? This question dominates discussions in healthcare management as physician job satisfaction—defined as a ‘pleasurable state resulting from a positive appraisal of one’s job’—reaches concerning lows. Physicians increasingly suffer from stress and burnout, contributing to high turnover rates that create even greater workload pressures for remaining staff. The importance of addressing physician satisfaction extends beyond staff welfare, given the well- established links between worker job satisfaction and productivity and, critically in healthcare settings, the quality of patient care. Multiple factors influence job satisfaction and intention to stay, but middle managers play a particularly crucial role in maintaining satisfaction and reducing turnover intention…