Supplement-QI professional's job: A 2-year comparison

Here is a snapshot of QI/TQM readers' work situations comparing key points from 1998 and 1999 salary surveys.

• Length of work week (it's getting longer):

— 1999, 89% work 41 to 60 hours a week. This year, 14% log in 55 to 60 hours a week while none of last year's respondents reported that long a work week.

— 1998, 92% worked 41 to 55 hours a week.

• 22-25+ years in health care:

— 1999, 51%

— 1998, 53%

• Number of years in positions with the same or similar responsibilities:

— 1999 mode (largest concentration of responses), 31% with 7-9 years. 1998 mode, 37% with 10-12 years.

• Age:

— 1999, no respondents age 26-30, 24% ages 31-40, 76% ages 41-65. 75% of the respondents are concentrated in the 36-50 age group.

— 1998, 23% ages 26-40, 77% ages 41-65. 83% of the respondents were concentrated in the 36-50 age group.

• Gender:

— 1999, 86% female, 14% male.

— 1998, 86% female, 14% male.

• Number of employees in the department:

— 1999, 41% report increase, 31% report decrease, 28% report no change.

— 1998, 37% reported increase, 26% reported decrease, 37% reported no change.

• Ownership or control of the employer:

— 1999, 69% work for nonprofit employers, others work for academic institutions, local governments, and for-profit organizations.

— 1998, 61% worked for nonprofit employers.

• Size of hospital:

— 1999, of the 79% who work in hospitals, the highest concentration of respondents, 57%, work in facilities of fewer than 100 to 300 beds.

— 1998, of the 91% who worked in hospitals, the highest concentration of respondents, 83%, worked in facilities of fewer than 100 to 500 beds.