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Research Article: Examining the extent, forms and factors influencing multiple job holding among medical doctors, professional nurses and rehabilitation therapists in two South African provinces: a cross-sectional study

Date Published: 2023-12-20

Abstract:
Objective Multiple job holding (MJH), or working in more than one paid job simultaneously, is a common characteristic of health labour markets. The study examined the extent (prevalence), forms and factors influencing MJH among public sector medical doctors, professional nurses and rehabilitation therapists in two South African provinces. Design A cross-sectional, analytical study. Setting 29 public sector hospitals in the Gauteng and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa. Participants Full-time public sector medical doctors, professional nurses and rehabilitation therapists. Results We obtained an overall response rate of 84.3%, with 486 medical doctors, 571 professional nurses and 340 rehabilitation therapists completing the survey. The mean age was 39.9±9.7 years for medical doctors, 43.7±10.4 years for professional nurses and 32.3±8.7 years for rehabilitation therapists. In the preceding 12 months, the prevalence of MJH was 33.7% (95% CI 25.8% to 42.6%) among medical doctors, 8.6% (95% CI 6.3% to 11.7%) among professional nurses and 38.7% (95% CI 31.5% to 46.5%) among rehabilitation therapists. Medical doctors worked a median of 20 (10–40) hours per month in their additional jobs, professional nurses worked 24 (12–34) hours per month and rehabilitation therapists worked 16 (8–28) hours per month. Private practice was the most prevalent form of MJH among medical doctors and rehabilitation therapists, compared with nursing agencies for professional nurses. MJH was significantly more likely among medical specialists (OR 4.3, p<0.001), married professional nurses (OR 2.4, p=0.022) and male rehabilitation therapists (OR 2.4, p=0.005). Conclusion The high prevalence of MJH could adversely affect the care of public sector patients. The study findings should inform the review and revision of existing MJH policies.

Introduction:
Multiple job holding (MJH), a common feature of labour markets, 1 refers to individuals holding more than one paid job simultaneously. 2 MJH is well documented in various health systems among medical doctors and nurses, 3 with the dominant focus on additional jobs in the private sector. 4–6 MJH enables health professionals to generate extra income and increase their job fulfilment. 7–9 MJH could assist in recruiting and retaining health professionals, with scarce skills in the public health sector. 4 10 However,…

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