Abstract
Work Engagement in Nursing Staff in Aged Care Facilities
12th EAOHP Conference: Book of Proceedings, pp.140-141
European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology: Occupational Health Psychology in Times of Change: Society and the workplace, 12th (Athens, Greece, 11-Apr-2016–13-Apr-2016)
2016
Abstract
Registered nurses and nursing assistants working in the aged care sector have different working conditions than nurses in hospitals, with higher staff-patient ratios and a focus on chronic, rather than acute, diseases. Considerable research has determined the antecedents of work engagement in the general nursing community and the current study extends prior research by including nursing staff in residential aged care facilities and nursing homes in Australia. Volunteers (N = 198, all female) completed an online survey about their personal resources (measured as psychological capital: efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism), length of time nursing, workplace conditions (measured by Areas of Work Life scale: high workload, control of tasks, sense of community, fairness, and shared values) and the outcome scales of work engagement, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intentions. Finally, they noted the most troubling and rewarding aspects of their work. Participants were aged from 17 to 73 years (M = 43.0, SD = 13.1) and were registered nurses and assistants, working predominantly in private aged care facilities (n = 154), rather than governmental health services. The length of time nursing ranged from <1 to 5 years (n = 67) to more than 30 years (n = 30), although age, length of time nursing, or types of schedule (fulltime, permanent part-time, or causal) did not impact on the outcomes. The correlations between the variables were in the expected directions, with more psychological capital and positive working conditions associated with greater work engagement, less emotional exhaustion and cynicism, less impact on professional efficacy, and less intention to change employment. Hierarchical multiple regressions entered psychological capital (Block 1: efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism) then the areas of work life (Block 2: high workload, control of tasks, sense of community, fairness, shared values) for each outcome. Optimism was the most common predictor, particularly for work engagement, emotional exhaustion, and cynicism; although its effect on job satisfaction was mediated by working conditions. Sharing values with the organisation was also important for work engagement and for job satisfaction; along with fairness and the psychological capital measures of hope and resilience, for the latter. Feeling unrewarded increased emotional exhaustion, whilst absence of community and fairness and high workloads increased cynicism. Interestingly, understaffing was listed as the most troubling part of their work, indicating that higher workloads become problematic as a result of too few staff being available to meet the needs of patients. In contrast, the benefits of community are reinforced through reports of the most rewarding part of the job, that of the positive interactions with residents and fellow staff. In combination, greater work engagement and job satisfaction and less burnout were more likely amongst staff with more psychological resources; particularly where the women had optimism about their working conditions, with contributions from each of the different areas of one's working life. Higher workloads, experienced as understaffing, and community, experienced as helping the elderly residents in their care, were the markers of most troubling and rewarding aspects in this work, respectively.
Details
- Title
- Work Engagement in Nursing Staff in Aged Care Facilities
- Authors
- Prudence M Millear (Author) - University of the Sunshine CoastAshleigh Rowbottom (Author)
- Contributors
- Kevin Teoh (Editor)Vlad Dediu (Editor)Nathalie Jean Sadde (Editor)Juliet Hassard (Editor)
- Publication details
- 12th EAOHP Conference: Book of Proceedings, pp.140-141
- Conference details
- European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology: Occupational Health Psychology in Times of Change: Society and the workplace, 12th (Athens, Greece, 11-Apr-2016–13-Apr-2016)
- Publisher
- European Academy of Occupational Health Psychology
- Date published
- 2016
- ISBN
- 9780992878627
- Organisation Unit
- School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Engage Research Lab; School of Health - Psychology; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99451491602621
- Output Type
- Abstract
Metrics
86 Record Views