Organizational features of workplace and job engagement among Swiss healthcare workers

The mediating role of psychological capital in the association between work engagement and occupational stress in pediatric nurses

Pediatric nurses are exposed to occupational stress due to the demanding care of sick children and complex interactions with families. The negative impact on nurse's physical and mental health, stress can also affect the quality of care. On the other hand, work engagement as a positive mental state and psychological capital as one of the supporting factors can help improve conditions and reduce occupational stress. However, the role of psychological capital in the relationship between occupational stress and work engagement in pediatric nurses needs further research. The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of psychological capital in the relationship between work engagement and occupational stress in nurses working on pediatric wards. The present study was a predictive correlational study using the path analysis model. The statistical population of this study consisted of 251 pediatric nurses. The sampling was conducted from December 2023 to May 2024. Data collection instruments included the Demographic Profile Form, Chen's occupational Stress Questionnaire, Schaufeli et al.'s Work Engagement Questionnaire, and Luthans' Psychological Capital Questionnaire. The data analysis was carried out using the SPSS 26 and AMOS 24 software. The results of this study showed that there was an inverse and significant relationship between work engagement and occupational stress in nurses working in the pediatric ward (p < 0.001, β = -0.22). In addition, a positive and significant relationship was observed between work engagement and psychological capital among nurses (p < 0.001, β = 0.39). The results also showed that there was an inverse and significant relationship between psychological capital and occupational stress (p < 0.001, β = -0.23). The results of the final model represented psychological capital as a mediating variable that explains the relationship between work engagement and occupational stress of nurses. The results of this study showed that higher work engagement leads to a reduction in occupational stress in nurses working in the pediatric ward and that psychological capital acts as a mediating variable in this relationship. Nurses who have higher work engagement and psychological capital, experience less occupational stress. Age and work experience were also related to reduced stress and increased work engagement and psychological capital. It is suggested that hospital managers focus on educational and supportive programs to enhance psychological capital and increase the work engagement of nurses working in pediatric wards to improve the quality of care for children.

Factors influencing pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists' membership in professional organisations: an international survey

BACKGROUND

Professional organisations exist as international or national organisations, with each country establishing at least one national professional association. There remains a knowledge gap about factors that influence professional organisational involvement of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. This study aims to explore the motivators and barriers of pharmacy professionals holding organisation membership from a global perspective.

METHODS

An online questionnaire was developed and disseminated between May and July 2021. The survey was open to all pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists. The survey consisted of four sections; demographic information, questions about professional organisations, about the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) and its impact on the members. Data were analysed descriptively.

RESULTS

A total of 1033 complete survey responses were received and included in the analysis. Of all respondents, 761 (73.7%) respondents were current members of a professional organisation and 272 (26.3%) were not members of any professional organisation. Overall, findings demonstrated networking, education, training and professional development opportunities as the main interests and anticipated activities, while the lack of clarity or need to join organisation, time, and financial constraints as the main barriers of pharmacy professionals holding membership. The majority of FIP members are satisfied with current FIP activities, and anticipate further networking opportunities, educational resources and grants made available to members.

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding the perceptions and needs, as well as factors that influence engagement of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists is the key to enhancing membership. Professional organisations are highly encouraged to strengthen and target activities according to the identified motivators and barriers.

Effects of the areas of worklife on job embeddedness: a national cross-sectional study among Egyptian nurses

AIM

This study aimed to examine the effects of a person-job match in the six areas of worklife on Egyptian nurses' job embeddedness.

BACKGROUND

Healthcare organizations struggle to embed nurses in their job. However, the antecedents of nurses' job embeddedness are not fully known, especially those related to organizational factors. This study is an initiative to contribute in this field.

METHODS

A national cross-sectional study that enrolled 1003 Egyptian licensed nurses was conducted. Data were collected using an online-based version of the Areas of Worklife Scale and the Global Job Embeddedness Scale and analyzed using the descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis.

RESULTS

Nurses reported a moderate level of job embeddedness with a person-job match in control, reward, and community. Regression analysis showed four of six areas of worklife (value, fairness, community, and control) contributing to nurses' job embeddedness.

CONCLUSION

Nurses who experience a person-job match in the value, fairness, community, and control areas of worklife are more likely to embed in their job. A match in the value area has the great potentials for nurses to embed in their job.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Actions aimed at embedding nurses should prioritize on optimizing a person-job match in value, fairness, community, and control.

Work Demands, Personal Resources and Work Outcomes: The Mediation of Engagement

The study tested a model of relationships of work demands (work overload and misbehavior of the students) and personal resources (self-efficacy) with job outcomes (turnover intention and job crafting behavior), as well as the mediation of work engagement on those relationships. The sample consisted of 451 Brazilian teachers, male and female (70.7% female), with ages ranging from 20 to 69 years (M = 38.63; SD = 10.36). The data analysis was performed through structural equation modeling and the fit indices were adequate. The results showed that work engagement mediated self-efficacy relationships with turnover intention and job crafting behavior. These findings present evidence for the JD-R Theory, according to which the demands exhaust the worker’s energy and produce negative outcomes at work, while the personal resources improve the work engagement and produce more positive outcomes. Training programs could be implemented to develop self-efficacy and attitudes of greater work engagement in the teachers, which could make them more proactive and guarantee that they continue in their jobs.

An Integrative Review of How Healthcare Organizations Can Support Hospital Nurses to Thrive at Work

Background: Solutions that address the anticipated nursing shortage should focus on thriving at work: a positive psychological state characterized by a sense of vitality and learning, resulting in higher levels of work engagement, commitment, and wellbeing. Purpose: To synthesize international evidence on organizational factors that support hospital nurse wellbeing and to identify how the Social Embeddedness of Thriving at Work Model can support health managers to develop management approaches that enable nurses to thrive. Method: Conduct an integrative review of literature published between 2005–2019. Results: Thematic analysis identified five key themes: (1) Empowerment; (2) Mood of the organization; (3) An enabling environment; (4) Togetherness with colleagues; and (5) Leaders’ connectivity. Conclusions: The Social Embeddedness of Thriving at Work Model supports managers to develop management approaches that enable their nurses to thrive. Health managers should consider strategies to support nurses to thrive at work to improve nurse work engagement and wellbeing.

Occupational stress and engagement in primary health care workers

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate levels of occupational stress and work engagement among primary health care workers. Method: A descriptive, correlational and transversal study was carried out in a small municipality in the countryside of São Paulo, with a non-probabilistic sample of convenience, with 85 workers. Three self-applied instruments were used: one developed by researchers, containing sociodemographic variables; Work Stress Scale (WSS) and Utrech Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Results: Prevalence of women (72.6%), 40 years old or more (45.9%), 4 years and 4 months of mean working time in primary care. Thirty-one workers (36.5%) presented significant stress (scores ≥2.5). Work engagement showed a mean of 4.1 (±1.2) to 4.4 (±1.4), classified as high in all dimensions. Occupational stress and work engagement correlated negatively. Conclusion: Workers presented high levels of work engagement; more than one-third had significant occupational stress. Workers with high levels of occupational stress tend to have lower work engagement.

The JDCS Model and Blue-Collar Bullying: Decent Working Conditions for a Healthy Environment

Violence in the workplace and its health consequences still represent one of the main obstacles to obtaining decent working conditions. In particular, blue-collar workers run a greater risk of experiencing episodes of violence, also because of a lack of autonomy and fewer social interactions. According to the work environment hypothesis, factors such as high workload, lack of social support and lack of job control represent the antecedents of workplace bullying. Following the job demand-control-support model (JDCS), violence can be the symptom of a high-strain environment. Moreover, it is still unclear if workplace bullying can mediate the effects of work-related stress on workers' health outcomes. The aim of the present study is to analyse the relationship between the components of the JDCS and the health of the workers considering workplace bullying as a mediating variable. By a cross sectional study design, we tested the following theoretical hypotheses: first, JDCS components (conceptualized as stress) are supposed to significantly predict the level of workers' health. Second, workplace bullying is supposed to mediate the relationship between the JDCS components and the level of health. The sample consists of 400 blue-collars from three different Italian companies. Work-related stress, health outcomes and workplace bullying were measured by specific self-administered questionnaires and the relationships between the variables of interest were tested through a structural equation model (SEM) analysis. The results showed that while the direct relationship between the components of the JDCS and the level of psychological health is weaker (standardized path coefficients SPC = 0.21), the partial mediation hypothesis shows that workplace bullying mediate the relationship between JDCS components and health outcomes (χ²/df ratio = 2.70; path from stress to workplace bullying SPC = 0.78; path from workplace bullying to general health SPC = 0.51; p = 0.01). The JDCS components (workload, lack of control, lack of support) are useful predictors for workplace bullying. On the other hand, bullying plays a mediating role between the stress experienced and the health consequences. The present study adds new insights into the relationship between violence seen as a form of social behavioural strain and the psychological health of workers. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Future research on blue-collars could use longitudinal designs in order to analyse the relationship between social environment, job design and strain reactions.

Engagement, Passion and Meaning of Work as Modulating Variables in Nursing: A Theoretical Analysis

Nurses are continuously exposed to stressors and psychological and physical risks that can negatively influence their daily work. These adverse psychosocial circumstances, accompanied by the poor self-perception of health, well-being, and quality of life, may trigger burnout. The positive psychology approach pursues a growth of passion at work, increased job satisfaction, and occupational health, both mental and physical, for the optimal performance of the nursing role. In this way, a theoretical analysis was conducted to describe the basic constructs of positive psychology, elements such as engagement, passion at work, centrality, and meaning of work, which could act as protective factors in the nursing profession. The results show that if health professionals are not physically involved, cognitively alert, and emotionally connected, they may not offer the quality care patients require. Positive psychology helps nurses in facing their complex reality and relevant daily activities in order to provide quality care. These efforts towards a humanist nursing care in which professionals are able to care for the others as well as themselves should be made.

Engagement of multi-professional residents in health

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the levels of engagement of multi-professional health residents of a higher education institution in the northwest of São Paulo. Method: A cross-sectional census study in which the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale was used to identify the level of relationship with work (Total score) through 17 questions distributed in the Vigor, Dedication and Absorption dimensions. Results: Participation of 50 professionals, of which 92.0% were female, median age of 24 years, 88.0% were single; 82.0% were satisfied with the program, and 56.0% had thought of giving up. Professionals satisfied with the program had high levels for Total Score (4.0) and Dedication (4.5), and average levels for Absorption (3.9) and Vigor (3.8). Those who reported dissatisfaction had average levels in all dimensions (Vigor: 3.2, Absorption: 3.5, Dedication: 3.5) and in the Total score (3.2), which are considered positive results. Conclusion: Professionals presented good levels of engagement in spite of dissatisfactions with the program. The results showed a good relationship between professionals and preceptors and supervisors, which reinforces that support and recognition of professional performance are important for strengthening the engagement, especially at the beginning of the career.

Definitional and Conceptual Muddling: Identifying the Positionality of Employee Engagement and Defining the Construct

Numerous entangled definitions, words, measurements, and frameworks have been proposed when referring to employee engagement, as well as other engagement typologies. Consequently, researchers have routinely drawn atheoretical conclusions about the meaning of employee engagement, limiting the applicability of employee engagement in theory building and practice. The focal point of our work was to detail an explicit definition of employee engagement and juxtapose our definition alongside several existing frameworks and definitions. First, we detail and position an operational definition of employee engagement ground in seminal literature. Second, we systematically examine the engagement literature, highlighting both dominant types of engagement and alternative typologies. Third, we conclude by making meaning for the human resource development field, distinguishing the use of employee engagement in the literature as an outcome, psychological state, and process, and synthesize our findings through a brief discussion of implications for research and practice.

Compassion fatigue and satisfaction: a cross-sectional survey among US healthcare workers

Professional quality of life among healthcare providers can impact the quality and safety of patient care. The purpose of this research was to investigate compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue levels as measured by the Professional Quality of Life Scale self-report instrument in a community hospital in the United States. A cross-sectional survey study examined differences among 139 RNs, physicians, and nursing assistants. Relationships among individual and organizational variables were explored. Caregivers for critical patients scored significantly lower on the Professional Quality of Life subscale of burnout when compared with those working in a noncritical care unit. Linear regression results indicate that high sleep levels and employment in critical care areas are associated with less burnout. Identification of predictors can be used to design interventions that address modifiable risks.

The N2N instrument to evaluate healthy work environments: an Italian validation

OBJECTIVES

The aims of the study were to (a) validate N2N Healthy Work Environment tool, (b) assess the healthiness of work environments as perceived by nurses themselves and (c) identify the factors associated with Italian nurses' perception of work environment healthiness.

METHODS

The linguistic and cultural adaptation of USA-N2N Healthy Work Environments was achieved through a process of forward/backward translation. Content validity was assessed by three expert nurses. The stability of the instrument was checked with a test/retest evaluation. The instrument psychometric properties, the confirmatory factor analysis as well the healthiness of the work environment and its determinant factors were evaluated with a sample of 294 nurses.

RESULTS

The content and face validity of the N2N Healthy Work Environment instrument was confirmed. The instrument demonstrated good internal consistency (α of 0.82), excellent stability values (ρ > 0.70) and high levels of acceptability (response rate: 96.4 %). The confirmatory factor analysis has corroborated the existence of two factors as documented in the original instrument (Mays et al. in J Nurs Manag 19:18-26, 2011). Eighty-seven (29.6 %) nurses perceived the work environment where they work as "healthy". Working under a functional model of care delivery (χ(2) 24.856, p 0.000) and being responsible for one project or more (χ(2) 5.256, p 0.021) were associated with healthy environments.

CONCLUSIONS

The instrument--valid and reliable, short in the number of items, easy to understand and based on international standards--allows a systematic assessment of the healthiness of the environment and might provide not only the opportunity to evaluate the effects of new organizational models and interventions, but also the possibility to activate a process of self-analysis and a process of ongoing review. The instrument can be used to systematically check the healthiness of Italian working environments, allowing for organizational diagnosis, targeted interventions and international comparisons.