Enhancing Job Satisfaction among Croatian Healthcare Professionals: Examining the Interplay of Perceived Social Support, Work Engagement and Job Satisfaction

In light of the numerous advantages associated with heightened job satisfaction among healthcare professionals, affecting their well-being and the quality of service delivered to patients, it becomes imperative to systematically investigate the determinants of job satisfaction, particularly during challenging periods when healthcare professionals (consider) leaving the country. This research explores the mediating role of work engagement in the relationship between perceived social support and job satisfaction. A total of 1,410 Croatian healthcare professionals actively participated in the study, completing the Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Index, Social Support Questionnaire and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The results of a mediation analysis conducted using the SPSS PROCESS Macro (3.0, Model 4) reveal that perceived social support and work engagement both significantly and positively predict healthcare professionals’ job satisfaction. Elevated levels of perceived social support directly enhance job satisfaction and exert an indirect effect through heightened work engagement. This finding suggests that healthcare professionals perceiving increased social support are more likely to experience job satisfaction, partially attributable to their high level of engagement. The conclusions of this research contribute to enhancing awareness regarding the crucial role of social support and work engagement in fostering job satisfaction among healthcare professionals.