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Job‐sharing in paediatric training in Australia: availability and trainee perceptions
Author(s) -
Whitelaw Charlotte M,
Nash Margot C
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143346.x
Subject(s) - phone , medicine , specialty , job satisfaction , nursing , family medicine , quality (philosophy) , psychology , medical education , epistemology , social psychology , philosophy , linguistics
Objective To examine the current availability of job‐sharing in paediatric training hospitals in Australia and to evaluate job‐sharing from the trainees' perspective. Design National survey with structured telephone interviews and postal questionnaires. Setting The eight major paediatric training hospitals in Australia. Participants Directors of Paediatric Physician Training (DPPTs) at each hospital (or a staff member nominated by them) provided information by phone interview regarding job‐sharing. All paediatric trainees who job‐shared in 1998 ( n =34) were sent written questionnaires, of which 25 were returned. Results Hospitals differed in terms of whether a trainee was required to give a reason for wishing to job‐share, and what reasons were acceptable. One hospital stated that two specialty units (Intensive Care and Neonatal Intensive Care) were excluded from job‐sharing, and another stated that certain units were unlikely to be allocated job‐sharers. The remaining six hospitals said that all units were available for job‐sharing, but the majority of their trainees disagreed. Only one hospital had a cap on the number of job‐share positions available yearly. Trainees perceived benefits of job‐sharing to include decreased tiredness, increased enthusiasm for work, and the ability to strike a balance between training and other aspects of life. Trainees believed job‐sharing did not adversely affect the quality of service provided to patients, and that part‐time training was not of lower quality than full‐time training. Conclusions Job‐sharing in Australian paediatric training hospitals varies in terms of the number of positions available, eligibility criteria, and which units are available for job‐sharing. In our survey, trainees' experience of job‐sharing was I overwhelmingly positive.