Form of employment of nurses and factors influencing the choice of a given form of employment

Abstract

Introduction. Nurses are the largest group of medical workers who constitute the core of the health care system. Currently, it is a desirable professional group both in Poland and abroad. The form of employment of nurses depends on the units employing nurses, the financial capabilities of these units and the applicable legal forms of employment, as well as the qualifications and competences expected by the employer. The labor market for nurses offers diverse forms of employment, which has a significant impact on the process of shaping human capital and the HR policy of entities employing nurses.

The aim. The aim of the study was to draw attention to the variety of forms of employing nurses, preferences regarding the form of employment and to learn about the factors influencing the choice of a given form of employment.

Materials and methods. The respondents were a group of 100 professionally active nurses with various forms of employment. The age of the study participants ranged from 21 to 75 years. The method used in the above work was a diagnostic survey. The research tool was a self-designed questionnaire. The survey was anonymous and included information that allowed the study group to be characterized in terms of sociodemography. To conduct the research, consent was obtained from the Bioethical Committee of the State Vocational University of Applied Sciences in Włocławek, number 32/22.

Results. The vast majority of respondents, i.e. 81%, indicated employment under an employment contract, and every fifth respondent worked under a contract. Experienced medical staff of nurses, striving for a stable retirement, definitely chose the form of employment contract, while young nursing staff often chose alternative forms of employment based on a contract.

Conclusions. The vast majority of nurses prefer employment in the form of an employment contract. The most frequently indicated factors motivating people to take up employment under a contract were employment stability and social support. Self-employed people indicated the possibility of obtaining higher income. People working under a contract confirmed that the main motivator for choosing this form of employment was the possibility of obtaining higher income.