Positive and negative perceptions at work: Qualitative study with physicians in a teaching hospital

Introduction > Doctors see the suffering of patients and their families; their working conditions are often difficult. High prevalence of occupational diseases are shown in medical literature, especially burnout. Some risk factors are shown depending upon medical specialties and workplace, especially in hospital. The purpose of this article was to qualify these factors by qualitative research, according to hospital doctors' point of view. Methods > It was a study with interviews. The analysis was done according to the Grounded Theory. Results > Nine doctors were interviewed. They expressed difficulties and positive factors at work. Four major themes were demonstrated in selective coding: the organization of work, experienced as positive rather negative, teamwork, work at the hospital and academic work. The three last themes were both a source of well-being and ill-being according to the situations specified in the results. Conclusion > The fact of working in a hospital is meaningful for physicians surveyed. But it could also be source of ill-being and anxiety.