Job satisfaction among social work discharge planners.

Eighty social workers working with elderly patients in 36 acute care hospitals provided information about their overall job satisfaction as discharge planners and identified sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in their jobs. Twenty-eight percent were very satisfied and 50 percent somewhat satisfied with their jobs. Sources of satisfaction were the ability to help patients and families, concrete resource provision, job challenge, and autonomy. Dissatisfaction resulted from organizational constraints and lack of support from other health care professionals. Educational and theoretical implications are discussed.