A comprehensive evaluation of factors affecting nurse leaders' work-related well-being

Nurse managers' experiences of work well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic affected healthcare professionals' work and well-being in numerous ways. Nurse managers, in particular, played a crucial and complex role in maintaining and leading healthcare services, ensuring the safety of both staff and patients, and supporting their teams. Gaining a deeper understanding of nurse managers' experiences and the factors influencing their well-being at work is essential for providing effective support in the future. The aim of this study is to describe nurse managers' experiences of work well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

A qualitative interview study design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in the fall 2021 between the third and fourth pandemic waves at a Finnish university hospital. Twelve nurse managers participated in online video interviews, and the data were analyzed using inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

Nurse managers' experiences of work well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic were classified into five main categories: meaningfulness of work, commitment to work, impaired physical and mental well-being, nature of work, and perceived support. These main categories included a total of 15 subcategories, reflecting a diverse range of experiences. The pandemic provided some positive experiences, allowing nurse managers to leverage their strengths and, for some, enhancing the meaningfulness and joy of their work. It also tested their mental and physical health, prompted some to consider leaving their roles, and highlighted a desire for recognition. Multiprofessional support was seen as essential.

CONCLUSIONS

Recognition, encouragement, open communication, availability and multiprofessional social support are important ways of supporting nurse managers and enhancing their work well-being. Understanding factors that contribute to nurse managers' experiences during the pandemic will help organizations and nursing management develop sustainable work well-being and working environments in the future, especially during crises.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER

Not applicable.

Nurses retention: the impact of transformational leadership, career growth, work well-being, and work-life Balance

BACKGROUND

Nurse retention is critical for healthcare systems worldwide, as high turnover rates adversely affect patient care and organizational stability.

AIM

Examines the impact of transformational leadership, career growth opportunities, work well-being, and work-life balance on nurse retention.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 297 nurses employed in inpatient wards at Mansoura University Hospital. The study measured variables using the Nursing Retention Index, Global Transformational Leadership Scale, Career Growth Scale, Work Well-Being Scale, and Work-Life Balance Scale.

RESULTS

A linear regression analysis identified significant predictors of nurse retention. Work-life balance was found to be a strong predictor, with an unstandardized coefficient (B) of 0.255 (p < 0.001) and a standardized coefficient (β) of 0.426, indicating a positive relationship with retention, transformational leadership also significantly influenced retention, with a B of 0.082 (p = 0.002) and a β of 0.171. In contrast, Career Growth and Work-Life Balance did not significantly predict retention, showing coefficients of -0.082 (p = 0.154) and -0.042 (p = 0.482). The model explained 23.4% of the variance in nurse retention (R-squared = 0.234) and demonstrated statistical significance (F = 22.294, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the critical role of transformational leadership and work-life balance in enhancing nurse retention. However, career growth and work well-being did not significantly predict retention in this study. Healthcare institutions should focus on transformational leadership and work-life balance to enhance nurse retention. Future studies should explore factors related to career growth and work well-being to determine their potential impact on retention.

Psychological distress, work environment quality, and motivation levels among nurses working in Saudi Arabia

Background

A favorable clinical environment and nurse motivation are both essential for achieving high-quality patient outcomes and organizational performance in healthcare systems, which can be highly distressing for nurses. The purpose of this study was thus to determine the associations among and influences of psychological distress, work environment quality, and motivation on one another.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study conducted with a total sample of 204 nurses in two public tertiary hospitals. We used an online survey to collect nurses' responses, which comprised the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-6, Brief Nurses' Practice Environment Scale, and Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale. We ran the necessary statistical analyses in SPSS version 28.

Results

We found that nurses' psychological distress, work environment quality, and motivation were moderate. A significant, positive, and moderate relationship existed between psychological distress and work environment quality, while nurses' educational level was statistically different with their motivation level. In the regression, only the nationality, current position, and work environment variables significantly influenced psychological distress. The hospital type also significantly influenced work environment quality. No variable was found to influence nurses' motivation level, though.

Conclusions

We concluded that nurses' work environment quality and motivation are interconnected with the psychological stress they experience at work. Monitoring nurses' work environment quality, motivation levels, and psychological distress is thus vital to ensure better patient care.

Exploring key job demands and resources in Norwegian child mental health services: a cross-sectional study of associations with and relationship between compassion satisfaction, burnout, secondary traumatic stress and turnover intention

Background

Burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and high turnover rates among child mental health clinicians are a challenge, not only for the individual therapist and the organization but also for the successful implementation of evidence-based practices. However, little is known about which and how job-and implementation-related factors are associated with burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and turnover intention as well as compassion satisfaction among child therapists. In the present study, we aimed to explore these factors and related mechanisms by integrating the "professional quality of life" and the "job demands-resources" models of occupational health.

Methods

We measured the perceived professional quality of life and turnover intention among a national sample of 256 therapists working in Norwegian Child and Adolescence Mental Health Clinics (n = 44) that implemented Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT). Seventeen Job-and implementation-related resources and demands were also measured using the General Nordic Questionnaire for Psychological and Social Factors at Work and the Implementation Component Questionnaire. Path analysis was used to test whether burnout and compassion satisfaction mediate the relationship between job demands and resources on one hand, and secondary traumatic stress and turnover intention on the other hand.

Results and discussion

Results revealed that two job resources, i.e., positive challenges at work and mastery of work, were significant predictors of all professional outcomes. The proposed model was only partly supported. That is, while burnout did mediate the relationship between some job demands (i.e., work-family interference and role conflict) and job resources (i.e., human resource primacy, positive challenges, and mastery of work) with secondary traumatic stress and turnover intention, compassion satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between job resources and turnover intention. Moreover, in addition to their indirect effects via burnout, role conflict and organizational climate (human resource primacy) also directly affected turnover intention. These findings propose that interventions that reduce burnout should be prioritized to improve the professional quality of life and turnover intention among child therapists. Theoretically, it seems that compassion satisfaction and work engagement act differently.

Nurse leaders' experiences of remote leadership in health care

PURPOSE

This study aimed to describe nurse leaders' experiences of remote leadership in health care sector.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

Semistructured interviews were conducted among nurse leaders (N = 12) between January and March 2022. All of the interviewees had experiences of remote leadership and worked as immediate - (n = 5) or middle-level (n = 7) leaders in health care organizations across four provinces in Finland. The collected data were analyzed by inductive content analysis.

FINDINGS

The leaders had experienced a rapid transition to remote leadership and highlighted the need for guidelines and joint discussions with different stakeholders. The interviewees felt that working life has changed in the last two years and that remote leadership will now be a key part of leadership in health care. The leaders' experiences highlighted how important trust is in remote leadership. Furthermore, the interviewees pointed out a need for face-to-face contact and described other good practices for remote leadership. Overseeing work-related well-being was also stressed as important in the remote context; however, the interviewees expressed a need for instructions and tools concerning the management of employee well-being. The sudden change to remote leadership was not only described as interesting but also challenging, which has affected the leaders' work-related well-being. Support - both from the organization and other employees - was found to be crucial to health care leaders' work-related well-being.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

The current study complements the little-researched topic of remote leadership in the health care sector. The results provide insights that can be used to develop remote leadership and/or guide future research.

Nurse leaders' work-related well-being-Relationships to a superior's transformational leadership style and structural empowerment

AIMS

To describe how nurse leaders' work-related well-being is related to a superior's transformational leadership style and structural empowerment.

BACKGROUND

The demanding role of nurse leader means that these professionals experience emotional exhaustion and challenges with work-life balance. They can also be influenced by the leadership style of their own superiors.

METHODS

A cross-sectional questionnaire using two internationally validated scales, namely, the Transformational Leadership Scale and Conditions For Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II, was used. Statistical methods were applied during data analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 155 nurse leaders participated completed the questionnaire. The participants' work-related well-being scores ranged from 8 to 10. The participants felt that their superiors employ transformational leadership. The dimension of feedback and rewards received the lowest scores, whereas the nurse leaders reported moderate overall empowerment levels. A nurse leader's work-related well-being was positively correlated with structural empowerment and their superior's leadership style.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the fact that nurse leaders reported relatively high levels of work-related well-being, more attention should be paid on the feedback and rewards and on the support of superiors as they positively influence the work-related well-being.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Transformational leadership should be supported in organisations and through education as it strengthens work-related well-being and structural empowerment of nurse leaders.