Job Satisfaction Among Healthcare Professionals During and Directly After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review of Psychosocial, Organizational and System-Level Factors

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially changed working conditions in healthcare and increased the workload of healthcare professionals. This systematic review aimed to identify factors associated with job satisfaction among physicians, nurses, and paramedics during the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular emphasis on psychosocial, organizational, and system-level factors. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Searches were performed in ScienceDirect (10 January 2026), PubMed (16 January 2026), and Scopus (22 January 2026). Original studies published between 2020 and 2025 in English or Polish were eligible. Three researchers independently conducted the study selection and methodological assessment. Methodological quality was assessed using JBI critical appraisal tools. Fifteen studies involving physicians, nurses, and paramedics were included. Findings were synthesized narratively because of substantial heterogeneity among the included studies. The review was registered in the Open Science Framework. Conclusions: Higher job satisfaction was associated with older age, longer length of service and higher remuneration. In contrast, lower job satisfaction was associated with direct work with patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, higher levels of stress and burnout, and poor work organization. Limitations: The main limitations were related to the fact that only three databases were searched, the heterogeneity of the studies, and a language restriction, as only articles in Polish and English were included in the search.