Exploring Job Satisfaction and Preceptorship Capacity Among Applied Epidemiologists

Job satisfaction is important to consider when developing strategies for recruitment and retention. The Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) conducted in 2014 was the first nationally representative assessment of the state public health workforce. Prior to this assessment, the job satisfaction of state agency public health workers and preceptor capacity had not been measured. This study fills the current research gaps by studying the job satisfaction among the applied epidemiology workforce, identifying factors influencing job satisfaction, and the describing the preceptorship capacity among epidemiologists. This research is based on the 2014 PH WINS data. The analysis was limited to those who identified epidemiologist as their role within the agency (n=681), and for this sub-sample, new statistical weights were developed and used, to generate national estimates for the applied epidemiology workforce. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and logistic regression were performed. Comments about job satisfaction were thematically analyzed. The study findings indicate state epidemiologists have a high level of job satisfaction. Sources of job satisfaction include commitment to public health, meaningfulness of work, and task diversity. Other factors significantly associated with higher job satisfaction scores include: supervisory level, intention to depart the workforce, being a preceptor, training support, organizational support, supervisor support, overall organization satisfaction, and overall pay satisfaction (p