TURNOVER INTENTION AMONG SPECIALIST MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS IN SABAH: A STATEWIDE MULTICENTER CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Nafsah Dulajis; Mohd Yusof Ibrahim; Ma Swe; Awang Setia Musleh; Aizuddin Hidrus

doi:10.37268/mjphm/vol.22/no.3/art.1446

Nafsah Dulajis Public Health Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Mohd Yusof Ibrahim Public Health Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Ma Swe Public Health Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Awang Setia Musleh Public Health Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Aizuddin Hidrus Public Health Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37268/mjphm/vol.22/no.3/art.1446

Keywords: Specialist medical practitioners, Job satisfaction, Turnover intention, Malaysia, Sabah

Abstract

Movement of highly skilled physicians from the public sector to the private sector is interrupting progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and subsequently Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). There is insufficient information to understand factors associated with turnover intention among specialist medical practitioners in Sabah, a state in Malaysia with the least number of clinical specialists for all specialties. This study intended to determine prominent factors affecting turnover intention using a cross sectional study conducted among Ministry of Health’s specialist medical practitioners across Sabah. Respondents were chosen using convenience sampling technique to complete a self-administered questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic information, work characteristics, the 10 item Warr-Cook-Wall (WCW) job satisfaction scale, a question on private sector employment offer and turnover intention. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were used to identify significant factors affecting turnover intention. A total of 101 completed questionnaires were analysed. A total of 75 (74.3%) respondents were younger than 40 years old and 57 (56.4%) of them were male. Almost one third (31.7%) of specialist medical practitioners in Sabah were actively seeking alternative employment. Factors associated with turnover intention were low job satisfaction score (t = 3.516, 95% CI 2.64-9.49, p < 0.005) and career development opportunities (x² = 5.766, p < 0.05). Turnover intention among specialist medical practitioners in Sabah was significantly associated with low job satisfaction and dissatisfaction with career development opportunity. There is a dire need for an effective retention strategy to retain these limited highly skilled health personnel

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