Objective To provide suggestions for boosting the motivation of medical staff by understanding their motivators. Methods Semi-structured interviews on the working status of 89 medical staff from 6 cities in the eastern, central, and western region of China were conducted, including sources of pressure of current works, major demands, and understanding of relevant policies, etc. The data were analyzed by the Nvivo 10.0 software. Results Medical staff concerned more about “salary” and
“society respect”. The demands of medical staff of different regions were different. Medical staff of central regions concerned more about “salary”; medical staff of eastern regions concerned more about “scientific research and education” and “work pressure”; while demands of medical staff of western regions were more balanced. Conclusion Motivating measures of medical institutions should focus on the regionalization and customization. Different salary models may be adopted for different positions and work features. The modern personnel management system of hospital should be established and medical liability insurance system should be promoted.
