In a landmark global survey that represents one of the most extensive inquiries into emergency medicine workforce satisfaction, researchers have uncovered both hopeful trends and critical areas requiring urgent attention. Conducted by the EUSEM Emergency Medicine Day Working Group, this comprehensive survey canvassed 1,112 emergency healthcare professionals across 79 countries, shedding light on the nuanced realities faced by those on the frontline of emergency medical services. Published in the European Journal of Emergency Medicine, the study offers a multifaceted view into the working conditions, challenges, and intrinsic motivations that define careers in emergency medicine (EM) in the 21st century.
Emergency medicine professionals operate in some of the most intense and demanding environments within healthcare systems worldwide. Their roles are characterized by dynamic patient flows, unpredictable case mixes, and often relentless working hours, including night and rotating shifts. These conditions have tangible effects not only on job satisfaction but also on workforce stability and the quality of care delivered to patients. Understanding these pressures in granular detail is vital for crafting policies that ensure sustainable and effective emergency care delivery.
The global survey reveals an average job satisfaction score of 25.37 out of 36 among respondents, indicating an overall positive professional sentiment within the emergency medicine community. However, the aggregate satisfaction masks underlying disparities, particularly in key areas such as career development, work organization, and workload management. These dimensions received comparatively lower marks, signaling systemic issues that could imperil the future stability of the EM workforce if left unaddressed.
Professor Luis Garcia-Castrillo, a leading figure in emergency medicine research affiliated with the Marquès de Valdecilla University Hospital in Spain, emphasized that enhancing career growth opportunities and reorganizing workloads are paramount to retaining existing specialists and attracting new talent. The persistence of these concerns across diverse healthcare systems underscores a universal challenge: how to balance the demanding nature of emergency medicine with sustainable working conditions that foster professional fulfillment and personal well-being.
Another significant finding from the survey is the variation in job satisfaction relative to the size and volume of emergency departments. Practitioners working in high-volume departments—those exceeding 100,000 patient visits annually—report appreciably lower satisfaction levels. This correlation suggests that as patient demand escalates, the strain on emergency teams intensifies, exacerbating stress and burnout risks. Mid-career professionals, with five to twenty years of experience, also exhibit lower satisfaction, highlighting this career phase as critical for targeted support interventions.
The age-old question in workforce studies – whether job satisfaction differs across gender, academic role, or hospital type – finds little variation in this survey. However, an intriguing insight arises from the comparison of satisfaction between professional categories: nurses and paramedics consistently report higher satisfaction scores than physicians, especially regarding workload and organizational factors. This discrepancy may reflect differences in role expectations, team dynamics, or systemic support mechanisms, prompting further investigation into interdisciplinary approaches to workforce well-being.
Central to maintaining enthusiasm and resilience in emergency medicine is the presence of robust co-worker support networks, strong organizational commitment, and a palpable sense of professional fulfillment. These elements emerged as the most positively scored factors across the survey cohort. Importantly, respondents intent on remaining in their current roles over the ensuing year demonstrated higher satisfaction indices, reinforcing the critical link between well-being and staff retention. This finding offers valuable insight for healthcare administrators striving to curb attrition in a workforce integral to societal health security.
Professor Roberta Petrino, the study’s first author from Ente Ospedaliere Cantonale in Switzerland, highlights the duality inherent in emergency medicine: it is a vocation marked by intense demands yet fueled by strong professional support and teamwork. She underscores that while these strengths preserve enthusiasm, there is an undeniable urgency to shore up leadership capacities, aid mid-career professionals, promote work-life integration, and delineate clear professional advancement trajectories. The conspicuous presence of burnout “red flags,” especially in high-patient-volume settings, signals an immediate call for strategic reform.
Plans to delve deeper into the amassed dataset promise to elucidate regional variations and systemic differentials that shape job satisfaction in emergency medicine globally. Such granular analyses could unlock tailored policy recommendations, enabling healthcare systems to benchmark their environments against international best practices. This approach aligns with the goals of the European Society of Emergency Medicine (EUSEM), the study’s funder, to enhance staff retention and care quality through evidence-based strategies.
Dr. Basak Yilmaz, chair of the EUSEM Emergency Medicine Working Group and a prominent emergency medical services leader in Turkiye, notes that the resonance of these findings extends beyond individual institutions. The strong association observed between job satisfaction and professional retention offers a decisive argument for investment in staff well-being programs. Sustainability of emergency medical systems hinges on a workforce that is both satisfied and supported, a concept that resonates amidst growing global healthcare challenges.
This comprehensive survey not only celebrates the rewarding nature of emergency medicine careers but also acts as a clarion call for systemic enhancements. By shedding light on the professional realities of emergency medicine workers, the study fosters a deeper understanding of how best to preserve their passion while mitigating risks of burnout, ensuring that emergency departments can continue to deliver critical care effectively and compassionately.
As healthcare systems worldwide grapple with evolving patient demands and workforce shortages, these findings provide a robust evidence base for interventions targeting leadership training, workload redistribution, and professional development frameworks. The emergency medicine community, supported by international collaborative efforts, stands poised to transform challenges into opportunities for enduring positive change.
The study’s timely publication at the European Emergency Medicine Congress underscores its relevance, and its broad international engagement reflects a shared commitment to enriching the emergency medicine profession. Continuing surveillance and research in this domain will be paramount as the global healthcare landscape adapts to new demands, technologies, and societal expectations.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: Emergency Medicine is a happy journey: the results of a global survey
News Publication Date: 28-Sep-2025
Web References: http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/MEJ.0000000000001272
References: DOI: 10.1097/MEJ.0000000000001272
Keywords: Emergency medicine, Health care, Caregivers, Health care delivery, Health care policy, Nursing, Emergency rooms
