Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Motivation is an individual’s degree of willingness to exert and maintain an
effort towards organizational goals. This study assessed motivational status and factors affecting
it among health professionals in public hospitals of West Shoa Zone, Oromia Region.
METHOD: Facility based cross-sectional survey was employed. All health professionals who served
at least for 6 months in Ambo, Gedo and Gindeberet hospitals were included. Self-administered
Likert scale type questionnaire was used. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Mean
motivation calculated as percentage of maximum scale score was used. Bivariate and multiple linear
regression analyses were done to see the independent effects of explanatory variables.
RESULTS: The overall motivation level of health professionals was 63.63%. Motivation level of
health professionals varied among the hospitals. Gindeberet Hospital had lower motivation score
as compared to Ambo Hospital (B = -0.54 and 95% CI; -0.08,-0.27). The mean motivation score of
health professionals who got monthly financial benefit was significantly higher than those who did
not (B = 0.71 and 95% CI; 0.32, 1.10). Environmental factors had higher impact on doctors’ motivation
compared to nurses’ (B = 0.51 and 95% CI; 0.10, 0.92). Supervisor-related factors highly varied in
motivation relative to other variables.
CONCLUSIONS: Motivation of health professionals was affected by factors related to supervisor,
financial benefits, job content and hospital location. Efforts should be made to provide financial
benefits to health professionals as appropriate especially, to those who did not get any such
benefits. Officially recognizing best performance is also suggested.
KEYWORDS: Motivation, Health Professionals, West Shoa, Hospital, Oromia, Ethiopia
