Sickness Experiences of Korean Registered Nurses at Work: A Qualitative Study on Presenteeism

How do organizational culture and leadership style affect nurse presenteeism and productivity?: A cross sectional study of Hong Kong acute public hospitals

BACKGROUND

Presenteeism is defined as a type of work behavior in which employees are physically present at work when ill, often with reduced performance. While organizational culture and leadership style are known to impact the organizational behavior of hospital staff, as indicated by increased burnout and decreased work engagement, their impact on nurse presenteeism and productivity has not been explored. Moreover, nursing studies often neglect the importance of using multi-level analysis, adopting aggregated unit-level scores to account for collective perceptions to evaluate culture and leadership.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to evaluate the impact of unit-level organizational culture and leadership style on individual-level nurse presenteeism and productivity in acute care hospitals using multilevel analysis.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING(S)

Three major acute care public hospitals in Hong Kong, where public hospitals provide over 90 % of inpatient services.

PARTICIPANTS

All full-time nurses (N = 4657) in the three study hospitals were invited to participate in this study. A total of 2339 nurses responded to the survey for a 65 % response rate.

METHODS

Organizational culture and leadership style are characterized using the competing values framework and a two-factor leadership style typology, respectively. Multilevel hierarchical linear modeling was applied with unit-level clustering in each hospital.

RESULTS

Hierarchical culture was the dominant culture (M = 3.64, SD = 0.74) in our nurse sample. None of the unit-level organizational culture and leadership styles were associated with nurse presenteeism, however, rational organizational culture at the unit-level was significantly associated with increased productivity (regression coefficient: 0.17, 95 % CI: 0.04-0.31).

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides hospital managers with improved understanding of the differential impact of unit-level organizational culture and leadership style on nurse presenteeism and productivity. Unit-level leadership style did not have a direct impact on nurse presenteeism and productivity in this study, while the externally focused rational organizational culture increased nurse productivity. Further research is needed to understand the impacts of modifiable work factors and nurse psychosocial emotions on presenteeism and productivity.

Design and validation of the presenteeism scale in nursing

BACKGROUND

The instruments used to measure presenteeism are all flawed and only incompletely measure the concept of presenteeism in employees of the general population. As a result, the concept of presenteeism is not measured, and in most of these instruments, the population for which the instrument has been developed differs from the nursing population. The present research was conducted to design and validate the instrument for evaluating presenteeism in nursing.

METHODS

The present study was part of an exploratory sequential mixed study. In this study, the instrument for measuring the level of presenteeism among nurses was developed and validated based on the results of the qualitative stage. To this end, the instrument's psychometric properties were investigated using face, content, and construct validity, as well as reliability through internal consistency and stability.

RESULTS

In this study, an instrument containing 17 items and three dimensions (imperfect cognitive presence, imperfect emotional presence, and imperfect movement presence) with favorable validation characteristics was developed. Therefore, the instrument was able to explain 56.375% of the total variance. Furthermore, Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients were 0.881 and 0.815, respectively. The intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) was also reported as 0.972 for the entire instrument, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.941 to 0.987.

CONCLUSION

Based this study, it was possible to measure the level of nurses' presenteeism through an instrument with favorable psychometric properties. This study helps health managers lay the groundwork for designing a system for measuring presenteeism among Iranian nurses using the developed instrument.

Association between sickness presenteeism and depressive symptoms in Korean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean workers have reported various types of sickness presenteeism (SP: continuing to attend work during illness). Understanding SP through mental health perspectives will help to make practical strategy for better working conditions. We examined the association between SP and depression among Korean workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in relation with the socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.

METHODS

Data from the 2020 Korean Community Health Survey were used as a representative nationwide sample dataset. We surveyed the experience of depression in the last two weeks from individuals who worked more than a week recently. We investigated the associations between SP and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were scored using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the significance of the associations.

RESULTS

Analysis of the data obtained from 84,514 participants revealed that 1700 (2.2 %) participants reported experiencing depressive symptoms in 2020. Employees with SP showed higher association with depressive symptoms than employers or self-employed individuals (OR = 2.18, 95 % CI: 1.85, 2.56 among employees vs. OR = 1.76, 95 % CI: 1.29, 2.40 among employers or self-employed individuals).

CONCLUSION

SP has become more prominent during the COVID-19 pandemic. A protective strategy against SP among vulnerable workers is necessary for a healthier and safer society.

Contributing Factors of Presenteeism among Portuguese and Swiss Nurses: A Qualitative Study Using Focus Groups

Evidence of nurse presenteeism has mainly focused on quantifying its prevalence and consequences on productivity, quality of care, and patient safety. Few data exist on nurses’ perceptions of their presenteeism and its related causes. We explored concepts of presenteeism and its contributing factors with frontline nurses and nurse managers in different healthcare settings in Portugal and Switzerland. Our qualitative study design involved 8 online focus groups involving 55 participants. The transcribed data was explored using thematic analysis. Three main reasons for presenteeism were identified: unfamiliar terminology; the paradoxical effect of `being present’ but absent; and presenteeism as a survival strategy. Six contributing factors were also recognized: (a) institutional disinterest toward employees; (b) paradigm shift: the tension between person-centered and task-centered care; (c) sudden changes in care practices due to the COVID-19 pandemic; (d) a lack of shared work perspectives with hierarchical superiors; (e) the financial burden of being absent from work; and (f) misfit of human responses. This study generates valuable, in-depth knowledge about the concepts and causes of presenteeism, and significant suggestions for the broader audience of nurse managers and leaders seeking to improve the quality of care.

Relationship between occupational stress, sleep disturbance, and presenteeism of shiftwork nurses

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine the relationships between occupational stress, sleep disturbance, and presenteeism in shiftwork nurses in South Korea.

DESIGN

This cross-sectional study used survey data from 442 shiftwork nurses at two hospitals in South Korea. Data were collected between March 2018 and April 2020.

METHODS

A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess shiftwork nurses' demographic and job-related information, presenteeism, occupational stress, and sleep disturbance. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and the PROCESS macro.

FINDINGS

The mean presenteeism score was 39.52. Multiple regression analysis revealed that job insecurity, interpersonal conflict, occupational climate, lack of reward, and job demand are significantly associated with presenteeism. Sleep disturbance was related to presenteeism and had a moderating effect on the relationship between occupational stress and presenteeism.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that proper occupational climate, positive interpersonal relationships, and adequate sleep can reduce shiftwork presenteeism. Therefore, individual and organizational efforts to alleviate occupational stress and sleep disturbances are essential.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Organizational support is needed to maintain a positive occupational climate and interpersonal relationships and ameliorate sleep disturbance among shiftwork nurses.

The Effect of Emotional Labor on Presenteeism of Chinese Nurses in Tertiary-Level Hospitals: The Mediating Role of Job Burnout

Background: Employees who are physically present but work insufficiently because of illness are deemed as having presenteeism. In the health care setting, the issue has taken on greater importance because of the impairment of the physical and mental health of nurses and the nursing safety of the patients. According to the Job Demand-Resource Model, burnout may link emotional labor with presenteeism. Thus, this study analyzed the role of burnout as a mediating factor between the three types of emotional labor strategies and presenteeism among nurses in tertiary-level hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 1,038 nurses from six Chinese hospitals was conducted. The questionnaires, including the 14-item emotional labor strategies scale, 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory scale, 6-item Stanford Presenteeism Scale, and items about demographic characteristics and work-related factors, were used to collect data. A multivariable linear regression was used to predict work-related factors and investigate the correlation of emotional labor, burnout, and presenteeism. The structural equation model was implemented to test the mediating effects of job burnout. Results: The results of the study showed that the average presenteeism score of the participants was 14.18 (4.33), which is higher than in Spanish, Portuguese, and Brazilian nurses. Presenteeism was explained by 22.8% of the variance in the final model in multivariable linear regression (P < 0.01). Presenteeism was found to be positively correlated with surface acting, emotionally expressed demands, deep acting, emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment (P < 0.01). Notably, presenteeism was negatively correlated with deep acting (P < 0.01). In addition, burnout partially mediated the correlation between emotionally expressed demands, deep acting, and presenteeism with a mediatory effect of 24 and 63.31% of the total effect. Burnout completely mediated the association between surface acting and presenteeism, a mediating effect of 86.44% of the total effect. Conclusions: The results of this study suggested that different emotional labor strategies affect presenteeism, either directly or indirectly. Nursing managers should intervene to reduce presenteeism by improving the ability of the nurses to manage emotions, thereby alleviating burnout.

Psychometric properties of the Work Limitations Questionnaire applied to nursing workers

OBJECTIVE

to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Work Limitations Questionnaire and to measure presenteeism in a sample of nursing workers.

METHOD

a cross-sectional study, with non-probabilistic sampling. Data was collected between July 2018 and February 2019 in two high-complexity hospitals, and the sample was composed of 304 participants. The validity analysis of the Work Limitations Questionnaire was performed by means of Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

RESULTS

most of the participants were women (88.5%), with a mean age of 40.9 years old. The validities of the factorial, convergent and discriminant construct and the reliability of the complete version and of the 16-item version of the instrument were adequate after adjusting the models to the sample. A statistically significant and negative correlation (p<0.001) was verified between the workload, working time and the Time Management and Physical Demands dimensions; as well as a statistically significant (p<0.001) correlation between working time and the Mental-Interpersonal Demands and Production Demands dimensions. Gender and professional category did not influence presenteeism. The rate of loss of productivity at work was 19.51%.

CONCLUSION

the Work Limitations Questionnaire showed adequate validity and reliability and can be considered a valid and reliable instrument for assessing presenteeism in the nursing team.

The nurse without a nurse: the antecedents of presenteeism in nursing

BACKGROUND

Presenteeism describes the state in which staff who lack the conditions for being present at work and need rest and leave for various reasons (such as illness, low spirits, fatigue, etc.) are present at the workplace. Due to the lack of knowledge about the antecedents of presenteeism in nurses and the context-based nature of this concept, the present study was conducted to explain the reasons for presenteeism in nurses.

METHODS

This qualitative study was performed using the qualitative content analysis method. The study population consisted of 17 nurses working in different wards of hospitals. In this regard, data were collected from February to June 2020 using individual, face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The nurse without a nurse was a category introduced as an antecedent of presenteeism. In this respect, nurses experienced limited power, injustice, compulsory presence, inadequate structural facilities, damaged professional identity, manager-nurse disconnect, insufficient knowledge, physical and mental health complications, job stress, job burnout, multitasking, and impaired communication.

CONCLUSION

The nurse, who has been responsible for caring, supporting, advising, advocating, and educating the patient, has now been left without a nurse. In other words, not nursing the nurse has given rise to the emergence of presenteeism. It is recommended that the results of this study be used in making health policies. The results of this study can make nurses' voices heard by health leaders and managers. A voice that has never been heard as it deserves.

Exploring Hong Kong nurses' decision-making processes around presenteeism

BACKGROUND

Presenteeism among nurses is the common behaviour of being physically present at work when one should not be due to personal health and well-being, a stressful work environment, lack of work-life balance, or a sense of professional identity or obligation.

AIMS

To explore nurses' decision-making process related to presenteeism in a large Hong Kong public hospital.

METHODS

As part of a larger study on nurse presenteeism in Hong Kong, we conducted focus groups with nurses to understand their considerations related to working sick.

RESULTS

Eleven major themes emerged from the focus groups, which we grouped into three organizational domains reflecting nurses' decision-making process around presenteeism: consideration for colleagues, organizational factors and professional identity.

CONCLUSIONS

Presenteeism was a familiar behaviour among Hong Kong nurses in our study. We found both overlap and divergence with prior presenteeism research in the domains and themes identified. Loyalty to colleagues, written and unwritten rules and professional identity as nurses all seemed to encourage presenteeism among Hong Kong nurses. Organizations seeking to discourage presenteeism should evaluate policies such as sick leave certificates, ensure appropriate coverage for all nurse ranks and address subcultural norms encouraging presenteeism.

Exploring the concept of presenteeism in nursing: A hybrid concept analysis

PURPOSE

To explore the concept of presenteeism in nursing.

METHOD

A three-phase concept analysis using a hybrid model was used. In the theoretical phase (first phase), a literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Proquest, EBSCO, Scopus, OVID, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, SID, and Iranmedex. In the fieldwork phase (second phase), semistructured interviews with 17 nurses were used. In the final analytical phase (third phase), the results of the previous phases were combined.

FINDINGS

In the final definition, presenteeism can be considered as a kind of fall from balance, in whose nature lies the non-actualization of capacities. If the imbalance of presence is due to the body, we are faced with the non-actualization of movement capacity, and regarding the imbalance caused by the soul, cognitive and emotional actualization is challenged.

CONCLUSION

Exploration of the concept of presenteeism in the nursing is the basis for identifying this concept in a profession that deals with health as the most valuable human property.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

The identified attributes of presenteeism provide a deep insight for nurse managers into the nature of presenteeism. Nurse managers cannot deal with a destructive phenomenon without exploring and identifying its exact meaning.

Effect of Workplace Spirituality on Quality of Work Life of Nurse Cancer Survivors in South Korea

OBJECTIVE

Return to work is known to have a positive effect on the quality of work life of cancer survivors, including the nurse cancer survivors, along with other factors, such as workplace spirituality. The aim of this study was to identify the effect of workplace spirituality and its constituent concepts on the quality of work life of nurse cancer survivors.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey comprising the nursing workplace spirituality (NWS) and quality of nursing work life (QNWL) scales was completed by 130 cancer survivor nurses between October 15, 2018, and May 15, 2019, in two general hospitals in metropolitan areas, and snowball sampling was used in parallel. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software, determining descriptive statistics, and conducting an independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and hierarchical multiple regression.

RESULTS

The average scores for all NWS and QNWL subdomains were medium. Age, nursing tenure, and the factors of NWS were positively correlated with QNWL, especially the harmony between the workplace and the individual (r = 0.65, P < 0. 001). In the second hierarchical regression, controlling general characteristics, harmony between the workplace and the individual (β = 0.38, P ≤ 0.001), and relationship with colleagues (β = 0.19, P = 0.031) were significant predictors of QNWL explaining 59.0% of the variance. This model was found to be suitable (F = 16.29, P ≤ 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Effective and practical organizational systems and intervention programs based on organizational support, including colleagues' support for increasing the quality of work life for nurse cancer survivors, are required.

Unplanned Absenteeism: The Role of Workplace and Non-Workplace Stressors

Unplanned absenteeism (UA), which includes medically certified leave (MC) or emergency leave (EL), among nurses may disturb the work performance of their team and disrupt the quality of patient care. Currently, there is limited study in Malaysia that examines the role of stressors in determining absenteeism among nurses. Therefore, apart from estimating the prevalence and the reasons of UA among nurses in Malaysia, this study aims to determine its stressor-related determinants. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 697 randomly sampled nurses working in Selangor, Malaysia. Most of them were female (97.3%), married (83.4%), and working in shifts (64.4%) in hospital settings (64.3%). In the past year, the prevalence of ever taking MC and EL were 49.1% and 48.4%, respectively. The mean frequency of MC and EL were 1.80 (SD = 1.593) and 1.92 (SD = 1.272) times, respectively. Meanwhile, the mean duration of MC and EL were 4.24 (SD = 10.355) and 2.39 (SD = 1.966) days, respectively. The most common reason for MC and EL was unspecified fever (39.2%) and child sickness (51.9%), respectively. The stressor-related determinants of durations of MC were inadequate preparation at the workplace (Adj.b = -1.065) and conflict with doctors (adjusted regression coefficient (Adj.b) = 0.491). On the other hand, the stressor-related determinants of durations of EL were conflict with spouse (Adj.b = 0.536), sexual conflict (Adj.b = -0.435), no babysitter (Adj.b = 0.440), inadequate preparation at workplace (Adj.b = 0.257), lack of staff support (Adj.b = -0.190) and conflict with doctors (Adj.b = -0.112). The stressor-related determinants of the frequency of MC were conflicts over household tasks (Adj.b = -0.261), no time with family (Adj.b = 0.257), dangerous surroundings (Adj.b = 0.734), conflict with close friends (Adj.b = -0.467), and death and dying (Adj.b = 0.051). In contrast, the stressor-related determinants of frequency of EL were not enough money (Adj.b = -0.334), conflicts with spouse (Adj.b = 0.383), pressure from relatives (Adj.b = 0.207), and inadequate preparation (Adj.b = 0.090). In conclusion, apart from the considerably high prevalence of unplanned absenteeism and its varying frequency, duration and reasons, there is no clear distinction in the role between workplace and non-workplace stressors in determining MC or EL among nurses in Malaysia; thus, preventive measures that target both type of stressors are warranted. Future studies should consider longitudinal design and mixed-method approaches using a comprehensive model of absenteeism.

The association between doctors' presenteeism and job burnout: a cross-sectional survey study in China

BACKGROUND

It is necessary to examine doctors working with illness from a professional point of view, because it is not only related to their occupational health, but more importantly, will affect the treatment effect of patients and the overall medical level of the hospital. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between doctors' presenteeism and job burnout, and to identify other factors that are associated with presenteeism.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey involving doctors (except for primary doctors) was conducted in China. Using one item measure about presenteeism and a 15-item Chinese version of the BMI-GS questionnaire, this study investigated prevalence of doctors' presenteeism and job burnout, and determined the relationship between presenteeism and job burnout by logistical model.

RESULTS

Relationship between presenteeism and job burnout were explored, and the influence of work factors were evaluated. The survey was completed by 1376/1547 hospital doctors, with a response rate of 88.9%. Presenteeism was reported by 30.7% of participants. Using MBI-GS, 86.8% of all doctors had moderate job burnout and 6.0%(n = 82) were severe job burnout. Logistic regression analysis showed that doctors with medium, high degree of emotional exhaustion and high degree of cynicism were more likely to practice presenteeism (all p < 0.05). In addition, two other work-related factors, including the doctors' department and position, were also likely to relate with presenteeism (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

By examining the relationship between presenteeism and job burnout, this study determined that there is indeed a significant correlation between the two. This result has a certain reference value for the development of work health, especially presenteeism and job burnout theory, and also makes a certain contribution to the relevant research literature.

Factors Related to Presenteeism among South Korean Workers Exposed to Workplace Psychological Adverse Social Behavior

Presenteeism negatively affects both individuals and society. This study identified factors of presenteeism among workers in South Korea, especially in relation to exposure to adverse social behaviors. Here, an adverse social behavior refers to any forms of workplace violence or intimidation. This study used the data from 23,164 full-time salaried employees, who participated in the fifth Korean Working Conditions Survey. This study attempted to predict presenteeism based on the exposure to adverse social behaviors and working conditions using logistic regression. Presenteeism was reported in 15.9% of the sample. Presenteeism was significantly higher among workers with the following characteristics: females, aged 40 years or older; middle school graduates; over 40 working hours a week; shift workers; no job-related safety information received; exposure to adverse social behavior and discrimination; and those with a high demand for quantitative work, low job autonomy, high emotional demands, and high job stress. The workers exposed to adverse social behavior showed a higher prevalence of presenteeism (41.2%), and low job autonomy was the most significant predictor of presenteeism. The findings of this study suggest that allowing enough autonomy in job-related roles may help alleviate presenteeism among those who have experienced adverse social behavior at work.

Assessing the Association Between Emotional Labor and Presenteeism Among Nurses in Korea: Cross-sectional Study Using the 4th Korean Working Conditions Survey

Background

Presenteeism has emerged as an important health-related issue and has been studied in a variety of occupation groups. This study examines the relationship between emotional labor and presenteeism in nurses in Republic of Korea.

Methods

As a cross-sectional study, our study was conducted on 328 female nurses participating in the fourth Korean Working Conditions Survey (2015). Nurses were identified by the Korean Industry Classification Code. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between emotional labor and presenteeism.

Results

Female nurses who always or sometimes hide their emotions in the workplace were found to have a high risk for presenteeism compared with female nurses who rarely hide their emotions in the workplace {odds ratio [OR] = 2.40 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–5.54]; OR = 4.12 [95% CI 1.72–9.84], respectively}. Furthermore, the risk of presenteeism was higher in nurses who sometimes engaged with complaining customers compared with nurses who rarely did so, but it lacked statistical significance.

Conclusion

Presenteeism in nurses can cause various negative secondary effects; therefore, an alternative should be sought to mediate nurses' emotional labor to prevent presenteeism.

Millennials: sickness presenteeism and its correlates: a cross-sectional online survey

OBJECTIVE

Sickness presenteeism (SP) is a well-documented phenomenon in the current workforce. However, little is known about the SP of future employees (Millennials). We investigated rate and propensity of presenteeism and health-related and work-related correlates in university students to obtain information about the relevance of SP in the future workforce. Sickness presenteeism (SP) refers to going towork while ill.¹ DESIGN AND SETTING: We administered a cross-sectional online survey in August 2018 involving self-assessments of health-related and work-related behaviour. As planned, we analysed rates, instances and propensities of presenteeism and absenteeism. The target population was Millennial university students.

RESULTS

749 German university students, average age 24.7±3.6 years, 49.5% women, mean academic progress 4.5±2.7 semesters, <1% without work experience, 15.4±10.3 mean weekly working hours. Presenteeism rates in the complete sample were 64% at school and 60.4% at work. For the subsample of participants who reported sickness, presenteeism rates were 87.9% at school and 87% at work. Presenteeism propensity among them was 0.67±0.34 at school and 0.68±0.35 at work. SP at school and at work was significantly correlated with subjective health (r=0.29, p=0.000 and r=0.25, p=0.000) and locus of control (r=-0.20, p=0.000 and r=-0.26, p=0.000). Age and sex adjusted multiple regression analysis showed that subjective health explained 9.7% of the variance in SP at school (B=0.049, p=0.000) and 8.1% of the variance in SP at work (B=0.037, p=0.000).

CONCLUSIONS

The SP rates of the future workforce were in line with previous research on older employees, whereas the presenteeism propensities we found here were higher. Across all analyses, subjective health proved to be associated with presenteeism. Thus, the relevance of SP will remain constant or might even increase with regard to the future workforce. Programmes offering health education should be implemented to sensitise this generation as early as possible.

Sick Students: Presenteeism Among Nursing Students in 3 Countries

BACKGROUND

Presenteeism, the act of going to work while sick, is associated with increases in medication errors, patient falls, diminished quality of care, and higher costs. To date, presenteeism has not been described among nursing students.

PURPOSE

This study described presenteeism in nursing students from 3 different international nursing programs.

METHOD

A self-administered survey with open-ended responses was used.

RESULTS

While nearly all student respondents believed going to class and clinical experiences put their classmates and patients at risk, the overall presenteeism rate was 85.5% for class and 69.5% for clinical experiences. Although there were significant differences between universities for reasons for presenteeism, a lack of opportunity for making up missed lecture or clinical time predominated.

CONCLUSION

Nursing students in 3 culturally different cities reported going to class and clinical experiences while sick despite recognizing the safety risk.

Are mindfulness and self-efficacy related to presenteeism among primary medical staff: A cross-sectional study

Objectives

In ensuring public welfare with primary medical and health services, the primary medical staff faces new tasks. Increasing workload, and therefore degrees of stress and burnout, can influence job satisfaction and lead to presenteeism, which is defined as the appearance to be on the job but not actually working. The purpose of this study is to investigate the current working situation and the relationship between presenteeism and mindfulness of primary medical staff and determine the mediating effect of self-efficacy on this relationship.

Method

A cross-sectional survey was performed with 580 primary medical staff from 9 hospitals in Shaanxi province, northwest China. Presenteeism, mindfulness, and self-efficacy were measured by using a general information questionnaire, the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Stanford Presenteeism Scale. Mediating effect was analyzed by a series of hierarchical multiple regressions.

Results

A high level of presenteeism was found among 47.4% of the study participants. Presenteeism was negatively correlated with mindfulness(r = -0.409, P < 0.001) and self-efficacy(r = -0.678, P < 0.001). A positive correlation was found between mindfulness and self-efficacy(r = 0.584, P < 0.001). When controlling for self-efficacy (β = -0.018, P > 0.05), the association was insignificant between presenteeism and mindfulness.

Conclusion

The results identified the effect of mindfulness on presenteeism of primary medical staff is realized through self-efficacy,which also suggested to enhance self-efficacy on center location when developing management strategies for mental health education or training among primary medical staff.

Prevalence, associated factors and reasons for sickness presenteeism: a cross-sectional nationally representative study of salaried workers in Spain, 2016

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of sickness presenteeism (SP), its associated factors and the reasons given for SP episodes, among the overall salaried population and excluding the 'healthy' workers.

DESIGN

Population-based cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Salaried population in Spain.

PARTICIPANTS

Data were obtained from the third Spanish Psychosocial Risks Survey (2016), carried out between October and December 2016, n=1615.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-reported episodes of SP and their reasons.

RESULTS

23.0% (95% CI 19.2 to 26.8) of the workers exhibit SP, whereas among those manifesting having had some health problem in the preceding year, the figure was 53.0% (95% CI 46.9 to 59.1). The factors associated with SP when we study all workers are age, seniority, salary structure, working more than 48 hours, the contribution of worker's wage to the total household income and downsizing; factors among the 'unhealthy' workers are working more than 48 hours and not having a contract. The most common reason for SP is 'did not want to burden my colleagues', 45.7% (95% CI 37.3 to 54.4), whereas 'I could not afford it for economic reasons' ranked third, 35.9% (29.4% to 42.9%), and 27.5% (21.3% to 34.6%) of the workers report 'worried about being laid off' as a reason for going to work despite being ill.

CONCLUSIONS

The estimated frequency of SP in Spain is lower than certain other countries, such as the Scandinavian countries. The factors associated vary depending on the population analysed (all workers or excluding 'healthy' workers). The reason 'I was worried about being laid off' was much more common than the estimates for Sweden or Norway.

Presenteeism and musculoskeletal symptoms among nursing professionals

Objective:

to identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in two stages (before and after six months of the first stage) and its association with presenteeism among nursing professionals.

Method:

longitudinal study with quantitative data conducted in a Brazilian teaching hospital with 211 nursing professionals. The instruments used for data collection were: Cultural and Psychosocial Influences on Disability - CUPID Questionnaire, used to identify the musculoskeletal symptoms and the Stanford Presenteeism Scale, used to verify presenteeism. The instruments were validated for Brazilian Portuguese. The study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee. Descriptive statistics, Mann Whitney test and regression analysis were used to analyze the data.

Results:

158 (74.9%) professionals experienced presenteeism and 151 (71.6%) reported low back pain as musculoskeletal symptom. Professionals with low back pain had lower scores on the presenteeism scale and shoulder pain was related to loss of concentration during work.

Conclusion:

presenteeism lead to a reduction in work performance and was manifested in the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms. In addition, shoulder pain caused loss of concentration at work.

[Factors Related to Presenteeism in Young and Middle-aged Nurses]

OBJECTIVE

Presenteeism is considered to be not only a work-related stressor but also a factor involved in the development of workaholism and error proneness, which is often described as careless. Additionally, increasing health issues arising from aging suggest the possibility that presenteeism in middle-aged nurses is different than that in young ones. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify and tease apart factors involved in presenteeism among young and middle-aged nurses.

METHODS

An anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 2,006 nurses working at 10 hospitals. In total, 761 nurses aged <40 years and 536 nurses aged ≥40 years were enrolled in this study. Work Impairment Scores (WIS) on the Japanese version of the Stanford Presenteeism Scale were measured for presenteeism. Job stressors, workaholism, and error proneness were measured for related factors. Multiple regression analysis was conducted after determining the WIS as the dependent variable and related factors as independent variables.

RESULTS

Overall, 70.8% of the young nurses reported health problems compared to 82.5% of the middle-aged nurses. However, WIS in young nurses was significantly higher than that in middle-aged ones (p < 0.001). WIS in young nurses showed a significant relationship with the degree of stressors, "difficulty of work" (β = 0.28, p < 0.001) and tendency to "work excessively" (β = 0.18, p < 0.001), which is a subscale of workaholism, error proneness of "action slips" (β = 0.14, p < 0.01) and "cognitive narrowing" (β = 0.11, p < 0.05). Conversely, WIS in middle-aged nurses showed a significant relationship with "cognitive narrowing" (β = 0.29, p < 0.001) and to "work excessively" (β = 0.17, p < 0.001), the degree of stressors on "difficulty of work" (β = 0.12, p < 0.05) and "lack of communication" (β = 0.13, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

It was clarified that the increased health problems of middle-aged nurses does not necessarily lower their working capacity. Also, compared to young nurses, the degree of failing tendency, rather than the degree of job stressors, was more related to presenteeism for middle-aged nurses. It can be considered that middle-aged nurses simply realize that their working ability is hindered because of incidents resulting from attention narrowing. As fatigue and state of tension tend to cause narrowing of attention, it may be necessary to reduce such risks and adjust work environments so mistakes can be avoided.