Registered nurses' perspectives of work satisfaction, patient safety and intention to stay - A double-edged sword

Attracting nursing talent to the intensive care unit: A qualitative study on how to create an appealing work environment

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE

The global shortage of nurses who want to work in the intensive care unit (ICU) is alarming, putting at risk quality of care and patient safety. With efforts put into engagement strategies, optimized recruitment programmes are scarce, specifically in the ICU setting. The aim of this study is to describe and explore ICU nurses' opinions on their work motivational factors that influenced the decision to work in the ICU setting.

DESIGN

A qualitative research was undertaken, with a descriptive exploratory interpretative approach, implementing a QUAL-QUAL design, where two data collection techniques are used simultaneously and complement each other. Experienced ICU nurses were interviewed by focus group, using in-depth interviews for novel nurses. A template content analysis as described by the model of Brooks was performed.

SETTING

The selected population was recruited from 6 different public hospitals in Spain.

FINDINGS

A total of 17 nurses participated in the study as we reached data saturation; seven in the focus group and ten by individual interviews. Four main themes emerged from the analysis divided into 13 subthemes: "ICU training and education", "taking care of the intensive carer", "optimized human resources management" and "intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors".

CONCLUSION

Nurses consider that an attractive ICU in terms of job satisfaction is the one that is committed to quality continuous training programmes, welcoming professionals with well-designed mentoring, and taking care of its workers by promoting teamwork and work-life balance, burnout syndrome prevention strategies and motivation for intellectual development.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

The description of how to create attractive ICUs will help to build strategies with the aim of recruiting talented highly qualified professionals who will alleviate the need for nurses in the field, optimizing the care provided and generating benefits in management and quality of care.

Characteristics associated with career self-reliance behaviors of nurses working in nursing homes in Japan: A cross-sectional study

Background

With an aging global population, establishing integrated systems for long-term care is challenging in several countries. Adequate and quality service for older adults in nursing homes can improve their quality of life. The career self-reliance of nurses working in nursing homes may affect the quality of life of older adults; this suggests a need for educational support for career self-reliance behavior.

Objective

Our study aimed to identify characteristics associated with the career self-reliance behaviors of nurses working in nursing homes.

Methods

Data were collected from nurses working in 789 nursing homes in Japan using questionnaires in 2018. The questionnaire consisted of the Scale of Career Self-Reliance Attitude, Career Self-Reliance Behavior to measure the degree of nurses' career self-reliance, questions about personal attributes, work environment, and work commitment; and the Clinical Nursing Competence Self-Assessment Scale. A multiple regression analysis was conducted using career self-reliance as the dependent variable and characteristics as the independent variables.

Results

Consequently, a total of 336 questionnaires were collected, of which 289 without missing data were analyzed. Of the 289 participants, 79 (27.3%) had certifications or licenses other than those for nursing or had completed graduate school. As a result of multiple regression analysis, a higher frequency of nursing practice (β = 0.38, p <0.001) was associated with career self-reliance attitudes. Having certifications or licenses other than those for nursing or completing graduate school (β = 0.11, p = 0.03), job satisfaction as a nurse (β = 0.12, p = 0.03), higher frequency of nursing practice (β = 0.28, p <0.001), and a higher degree of career self-reliance attitude (β = 0.45, p <0.001) were associated with career self-reliance behavior. Relationships with supervisors or colleagues were not associated with career self-reliance.

Conclusion

It is important for nurses working in nursing homes to enrich their nursing practice, continue learning, and be satisfied with their jobs to improve their career self-reliance. Nurses and administrators working in nursing homes should make efforts to obtain these characteristics for nurses' career self-reliance behaviors. Particularly, maintaining nursing practice frequency is essential for improving the quality of life of older adults through nurses' career self-reliance.

Exploring the reasons behind nurses' intentions to leave their hospital or profession: A cross-sectional survey

Background

Multiple factors can fuel nurses' intention to leave their employing hospital or their profession. Job dissatisfaction and burnout are contributors to this decision. Sociodemographic and work context factors can also play a role in explaining nurses' intention to leave.

Objective

To investigate the role of sociodemographic and work context factors, including job resources, job demands, job dissatisfaction, depersonalization, and emotional exhaustion, on nurses' intention to leave their hospital or their profession.

Design

Multicentre cross-sectional study.

Settings

Eight European hospitals, two per each country, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Poland.

Participants

From May 16 to September 30, 2022, we collected 1,350 complete responses from nurses working at the selected hospitals (13 % response rate).

Methods

The intention to leave was assessed through two 5-Likert scale outcomes, agreeing with the intention to leave the profession and the intention to leave the hospital. Logistic regression models were used for statistical analysis.

Results

At the multivariable analysis, a higher intention to leave the hospital was observed for: younger age, having served on the frontline against COVID-19, lack of quipment, living in the Netherlands, emotional exhaustion, dissatisfaction with work prospects, and dissatisfaction with the use of professional abilities. There was a higher intention to leave the profession for: younger age, living in the Netherlands, having work-related health problems, depersonalization, emotional exhaustion, low possibilities of professional development, dissatisfaction with work prospects, lack of use of professional abilities, overall ob issatisfaction, and dissatisfaction with salary. Nurses living in Italy expressed the lowest intention to leave.

Conclusion

While confirming the role of job dissatisfaction and burnout, we found higher intention to leave for young nurses, nurses with work-related health problems, and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dissatisfaction with work prospects, professional development, and salary also increased the intention to leave. We call for educators, managers, and policymakers to address these factors to retain at-risk nursing categories, implementing strategies to mitigate intentions to leave.

Coming and going: A narrative review exploring the push-pull factors during nurses' careers

BACKGROUND

Shortages of nurses are one of the biggest challenges healthcare systems face around the world. Given the wide range of contexts and individuals working in nursing, a 'one-size-fits-all' retention strategy is unlikely to be effective. Knowing what matters most to nurses at different career stages would help employers and policy-makers who want to enhance nurse retention to design tailored strategies.

OBJECTIVE

To review and synthesise findings from recently published literature on the push-pull factors influencing nurses' decisions at the micro level, to enter and stay (or leave) at key career stages (i.e. pre-career, training, early-, mid- and late-career, and return to practice).

METHODS

We undertook a set of structured searches of the literature and a narrative synthesis to explore factors that motivate individuals to enter the nursing profession and the push-pull factors influencing nurse retention at different career stages. Electronic databases CINAHL, Medline, Scopus and Embase were searched in December 2022 (and updated in November 2023) for English language publications. Additional health workforce sources, such as King's Fund and Nuffield Trust, were also searched.

RESULTS

227 articles met the criteria for inclusion in the narrative review. Some push-pull factors were common to nurses across all career stages, including workplace support, flexible schedule patterns, opportunities for career advancement, fair treatment and salaries. In contrast, some challenges and push-pull factors were unique to each career stage. Students experienced difficulty in adjusting and balancing education and life; early-career nurses experienced transition shocks; mid-career nurses were frustrated by the lack of career advancement; late-career nurses desired more recognition; nurses returning to practice were discouraged by their lack of confidence and the cost of return-to-practice courses.

CONCLUSION

Our findings reinforce the view that factors influencing nurses' choices about whether to enter, continue or leave nursing jobs are multi-factorial and multi-dimensional. Policy and employment practices should be informed by research that has a more nuanced insight into what matters most to whom and at what career stage.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

Nuanced insight into motivations is needed to attract and retain a mix of nurse throughout their careers @ZEjebu @julia_philippou @JaneEball.

Exploring the Influencing Factors of Experienced Nurses' Retention Behaviour: A Qualitative Study Based on the COM-B Model

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing the retention behaviour of experienced nurses in China, using the capability, opportunity, motivation and behaviour (COM-B) model as a conceptual framework.

DESIGN

A qualitative descriptive study based on the COM-B model.

METHODS

In this qualitative descriptive study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 nurses across 11 cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Great Bay Area of China between March and May 2024. The interviews followed a predefined topic guide derived from the COM-B model. The transcriptions of the interviews were then subjected to deductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Eleven key themes emerged, which were embedded in three categories of the COM-B model, including capability (physical and mental health, professional knowledge and skills), motivation (increasing income, sense of fulfilment in nursing work, positive colleague relationships and job stability) and opportunity (management, career development opportunities, work-life balance, prejudice against nursing and workload).

CONCLUSIONS

The study provides new perspectives on factors influencing the retention of experienced nurses in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. The study identified 11 factors that influence nurse retention behaviour, emphasising three distinctive perceptions: the 'iron rice bowl', the concept of filial piety and public prejudice towards nursing in Chinese society, which are unique to China compared to other nations. Additionally, it revealed similarities in nurse retention factors across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION

To strengthen nurse retention, it is essential to develop tailored strategies for experienced nurses. Future research should also take social culture into account to enhance retention efforts.

REPORTING METHOD

This study's reporting adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Studies (COREQ) checklist.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Exploring Determinants of Nurse Retention: The Influence of Personal and Professional Values, and Work Environment in Predicting Intent to Leave

Nurse retention remains a pivotal issue, necessitating urgent strategies aimed at the recruitment and retention of highly qualified nurses. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the influence of nurses' personal and professional values, along with work environment, on predicting intent to leave an organization. Utilizing a secondary analysis approach, this study employed logistic regression to predict intent to leave among registered nurses (n = 671) using results from the Short Schwartz's Value Survey, the Nurses Professional Values Scale-3, and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Regression analysis indicates that the work environment including "Participation in Hospital Affairs" (B = -.665, odds ratio = .514), "Nurse Manager Ability, Leadership, and Support" (B = -.448, odds ratio = .639), and "Staffing and Resource Adequacy" (B = -.589, odds ratio = .555) are significant predictors of nurses' intentions to leave. Establishing and maintaining supportive work environments is essential for retention, highlighting the importance of effective leadership.

Healthy work environment: A systematic review informing a nursing professional practice model in the US Military Health System

AIM

The aim of the study was to develop recommendations for creating a healthy work environment based on current literature for nurses working within the US Military Health System (MHS). However, our findings would likely benefit other nursing populations and environments as well.

DESIGN

Systematic literature review.

DATA SOURCES

We conducted a systematic literature search for articles published between January 2010 until January 2024 from five databases: PubMed, Joanna Briggs, Embase, CINAHL and Scopus.

METHODS

Articles were screened, selected and extracted using Covidence software. Article findings were synthesized to create recommendations for the development, implementation and measurement of healthy work environments.

RESULTS

Ultimately, a total of 110 articles met the criteria for inclusion in this review. The articles informed 13 recommendations for creating a healthy work environment. The recommendations included ensuring teamwork, mentorship, job satisfaction, supportive leadership, nurse recognition and adequate staffing and resources. Additionally, we identified strategies for implementing and measuring these recommendations.

CONCLUSIONS

This thorough systematic review created actionable recommendations for the creation of a healthy work environment. Based on available evidence, implementation of these recommendations could improve nursing work environments.

IMPACT

This study identifies methods for implementing and measuring aspects of a healthy work environment. Nurse leaders or others can implement the recommendations provided here to develop healthy work environments in their hospitals, clinics or other facilities where nurses practice.

REPORTING METHOD

PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No patient or public contribution.

Nurses' experiences of reporting the medical errors of their colleagues: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Medical error is a leading cause of disability and death in healthcare settings and reporting colleagues' medical errors is one of the main strategies for medical error management and an ethical responsibility of all healthcare providers, including nurses. Most studies into reporting colleagues' medical errors used quantitative designs while it seems that using qualitative designs can provide better insight in this area.

PURPOSE

This study explored nurses' experiences of reporting the medical errors of their colleagues.

METHODS

This qualitative study was conducted using the conventional content analysis approach. Participants were 22 hospital nurses purposively selected in 2021-2022 from different cities in Iran. Twenty-two in-depth semi-structured interviews were held for data collection. The data were analyzed via Graneheim and Lundman's conventional content analysis and trustworthiness was maintained using the criteria proposed by Guba and Lincoln.

FINDINGS

The main categories of the study were burnout and intention to leave the profession and growth and development. The two subcategories of the first category were the experience of injury and the experience of violence and the two subcategories of the second category were sense of worthiness and sense of motivation. Moral distress was the most important experience of almost all participants.

CONCLUSION

Nurses mostly have negative experiences in terms of reporting their colleagues' medical errors. Negative experiences can act as the barriers to report colleagues' errors while positive experiences can act as its facilitators. Improvement of the patient safety culture in healthcare settings and interpersonal relationships among healthcare providers can reduce the negative experiences and promote the positive experiences of reporting colleagues' medical errors.

Registered nurses' experiences on job satisfaction in nursing home settings

AIM

To describe what registered nurses' experience to be important to job satisfaction in nursing home settings.

DESIGN

This is a qualitative study based on data from individual interviews.

METHODS

Sixteen registered nurses working in nursing homes were interviewed, and their responses were analysed with systematic text condensation.

RESULTS

A total of six categories were developed to describe various aspects of job satisfaction among registered nurses at nursing homes: meaningfulness is essential, to possess control and manageability is central, a possibility to balance daily challenges with professional development, supportive leadership is imperative, the nursing team's competence and companionship, and being confident in one's own profession.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, meaningfulness was essential to job satisfaction, and work was experienced to be meaningful and engaging when the demands were manageable, the workload controllable, and when the registered nurses felt supported by management and co-workers. Conversely, if the demands were too high, the workload was beyond their control and the nurses felt unsupported, then the work felt meaningless and thus unsatisfactory.

Exploring the causes and consequences of non-nursing tasks among nurses in Jordan: An in-depth qualitative investigation

AIM

To investigate the perceptions of Jordanian nurses regarding Non-Nursing Tasks (NNTs) and their consequences, as well as the underlying factors that contribute to the occurrence of NNTs.

BACKGROUND

Nurses play a crucial role in providing high-quality patient care, but they often engage in NNTs, which can hinder their ability to deliver care effectively. Western countries have primarily conducted research on NNTs, while Middle Eastern countries such as Jordan have received limited attention. Expanding our understanding of NNTs is essential for improving nursing care.

METHODS

A qualitative-exploratory approach was adopted. The research was conducted at three hospitals in Amman, Jordan. A purposeful sampling approach was used to select the participant and a focus group-interview method was used to gather the data. The derived data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.

RESULTS

The final sample of this study included 38 participants. The findings highlighted that nurses often perform NNTs due to staff shortages and limited resources, as well as weaknesses in nursing administration and education. The finding also highlights the consequences of NNTs on nurses' professional lives, including impaired nursing care, physical and mental health strain, and a lack of efficiency and productivity.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study's results provide valuable insights into the impact of NNTs on nurses in Jordan. These findings underscore the need for healthcare stakeholders to actively address the issue of NNTs. It also emphasized the need for more explicit job descriptions and processes, along with support for nurses to fulfilling their responsibilities and prioritizing patient care.

Interruptions in a dental setting and evaluating the efficacy of an intervention: A pilot study

INTRODUCTION

Interruptions during dental treatment are frequent, and often impact provider satisfaction and processing times We investigate the source and duration of such interruptions at a German dental clinic.

METHODS

A pre-post approach was adopted at this dental clinic. This included direct observations of 3 dentists and 3 dental hygienists, and a survey of providers. Following that, an intervention (switchable 'Do Not Enter' sign) was chosen, and a pilot study was conducted to evaluate if the chosen intervention can reduce processing time and improve provider satisfaction. Additional observations and surveys were performed afterwards.

RESULTS

Pre-intervention data indicated that interruptions have the highest negative impact on provider satisfaction at this clinic as well as on processing time during longer and more complex treatments, where a minor error due to an interruption could lead to rework of 30 minutes and more. The total number of interruptions dropped by 72.5% after the intervention, short interruptions (< 1min) by 86%. Provider survey indicated improvement due to the intervention in perceived workload, provider work satisfaction, patient safety and stress.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that a switchable sign can substantially reduce the number of interruptions in this dental clinic. It also shows the potential of improving the work environment by reducing interruptions to the dental providers.

Program coordinators' perspectives on implementing a transition program for newly graduated nurses: a qualitative interview study

PURPOSE

While transition programs are widely used to facilitate newly graduated nurses transition to healthcare settings, knowledge about preconditions for implementing such programs in the hospital context is scarce. The purpose of this study was to explore program coordinators' perspectives on implementing a transition program for newly graduated nurses.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

An explorative qualitative study using individual interviews. Total of 11 program coordinators at five acute care hospital administrations in a south-west region in Sweden. Data was subjected to thematic analysis, using NVivo software to promote coding.

FINDINGS

The following two themes were identified from the analysis: Create a shared responsibility for introducing newly graduated nurses, and establish legitimacy of the program. The implementation process was found to be a matter of both educational content and anchoring work in the hospital organization. To clarify the what and why of implementing a transition program, where the nurses learning processes are prioritized, was foundational prerequisites for successful implementation.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This paper illustrates that implementing transition programs in contemporary hospital care context is a valuable but complex process that involves conflicting priorities. A program that is well integrated in the organization, in which responsibilities between different levels and roles in the hospital organization, aims and expectations on the program are clarified, is important to achieve the intentions of effective transition to practice. Joint actions need to be taken by healthcare policymakers, hospitals and ward managers, and educational institutions to support the implementation of transition programs as a long-term strategy for nurses entering hospital care.

Adjustments in Interprofessional Communication: A Focus Group Study in Psychiatric Outpatient Units

Communication in healthcare extends beyond patient care, impacting the work environment and job satisfaction. Interprofessional communication is essential for fostering collaboration, but challenges arise from differences in training, roles, and hierarchies. The study aimed to explore psychiatric outpatient clinicians' experiences of interprofessional communication and their perceptions of how the communication intersects the organizational and social work environment of healthcare. Qualitative research involved focus group interviews with clinicians from five psychiatric outpatient units in Central Sweden, representing diverse professions. The authors analyzed semi-structured interview data thematically to uncover clinicians' perspectives on interprofessional communication. An overarching theme, "Adjustment of communication," with subthemes "Synchronized communication" and "Dislocated communication," emerged. Clinicians adapted communication strategies based on situations and needs, with synchronized communication promoting collaboration and dislocated communication hindering it. Communicating with each other was highly valued, as it contributed to a positive work environment. The study underscores the importance of an open, supportive environment that fosters trust, and respect among healthcare clinicians. Consistent with prior research, collaboration gaps underscore the urgent need to improve interprofessional communication.

I Was Merely a Brick in the Game: A Qualitative Study on Registered Nurses' Reasons for Quitting Their Jobs in Hospitals

The aim was to explore why registered nurses (RNs) in Sweden choose to quit their jobs in hospitals, also in relation to experienced patient safety. Previous research has shown that nurse turnover, especially in hospital settings, is a serious challenge for society and health care globally. Insufficient staffing of RNs is linked to poorer patient outcomes and a general patient safety at risk. It is, therefore, important to continually explore how nurses describe their reasons for quitting their jobs. The study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive design, based on 11 semistructured interviews with RNs. The analysis generated four categories describing the results: Feeling that the profession is not valued; Psychological and physical symptoms related to work; An insufficient and unsupportive organization; and Unsatisfying leadership and teamwork. Specifically, the RNs participating in this study described a range of reasons for quitting, where the feeling of not being valued and treated as a respected and autonomous profession was a common thread throughout the results. RNs experienced that, overall, the insufficient work conditions, also resulting in lower patient safety, ultimately led to their decision to quit. The findings highlight the crucial need for employers to develop working conditions for RNs, to make sure that the profession is valued according to professional standards and provide the potential for autonomous nursing practice. To reduce nurse turnover, and instead attract and retain nurses, leadership and management in nursing need to be adjusted to meet the demands of a modern academic profession.

Nursing students experienced academic emotions during education - a longitudinal descriptive study from a nursing bachelor's program in Sweden

AIM

To explore nursing students' academic emotions during ongoing learning activities focusing on perceived challenge and competence.

BACKGROUND

Emotions plays an important part in learning. Positive emotions can be beneficial while negative emotions can be detrimental to educational outcomes. Optimal experiences are situations when learners simultaneously experience sufficient challenge and competence. Since various learning activities are performed in different learning environments during the nursing program, it is of interest to investigate students' ongoing emotions in the occurring contexts.

DESIGN

A longitudinal descriptive study.

METHODS

By using the Contextual Activity Sampling System, data was collected every third week on a three-year nursing program. From August 2015 to January 2020, a total of 2, 947 questionnaires were answered by 158 students. Experiences of positive and negative academic emotions were calculated for the entire program. Optimal experience was calculated for courses where high discrepancy between positive and negative experiences were identified.

RESULTS

Students self-reported academic emotions varied over time and in relation to learning activities. High ratings of negative emotions were reported during clinical practice in all semesters except the final. Students' positive academic emotions and optimal experience in clinical practice increased after having deepened their academic knowledge.

CONCLUSION

Nursing students had an increased positive experience when they themselves practice a learning activity and it appeared that they benefit from academic preparation prior to entering internship. Nursing students need an academic competence to develop their skills during training in the clinical reality. Increased collaboration between academia and clinic would be beneficial for students' clinical development.

Strategies employed by developed countries to facilitate the transition of internationally qualified nurses specialty skills into clinical practice: An integrative review

BACKGROUND

Recruitment of internationally qualified nurses as a labour source is a long-standing human resource strategy being implemented to address the current and increasing global nursing shortage. Internationally qualified nurses transitioning into the health workforce of developed countries following immigration often possess specialty skills. A lack of a clear pathway of specialty skill utilisation makes recognising and using these specialty skills complex for many nurses. The ability for nurses to transition between countries and maintain specialty practice demands immediate attention in the current atmosphere of the global pandemic and the predictions to recruit more specialist nurses from overseas.

AIM

To identify and synthesise strategies taken by various developed countries in transitioning specialist internationally qualified nurses into practice.

METHODS

An integrative review was conducted to identify common themes, patterns, and best practices in order to inform policy development and improve the successful integration of internationally qualified nurses into the healthcare systems of developed countries. The study employed the Whittemore and Knafl five-stage integrative review approach. To conduct a comprehensive search, four electronic databases, namely Medline, CINAHL Complete, ProQuest Health, and EMBASE, were systematically searched in October 2021. The search was updated in March 2022 to ensure the inclusion of the most recent literature. Additionally, Google Scholar was utilised to avoid overlooking any important articles. Prior to the full-text review, three reviewers independently evaluated titles and abstracts. The included papers' quality was determined using the JBI critical appraisal tools.

RESULTS

This study included 10 papers, comprising three studies and seven reports. However, none of these documents provided information on how internationally qualified nurses could transfer their specialty skills acquired overseas to developed countries after immigrating. The guidelines and policies reviewed only offered generic advice on becoming a specialist nurse. Although some countries mentioned that post-graduate qualifications were not mandatory for nurse specialists, the majority of documents in this review emphasised the need for a national framework of education at level eight or higher (equivalent to a post-graduate level) to attain the status of a nurse specialist. Moreover, the included documents did not provide clear information on whether an international specialisation degree would be recognised during the registration process. As a result, confusion persists regarding the requirement of post-graduate qualifications for nurses aiming to specialise and the recognition of international specialisation degrees during the registration process.

DISCUSSION

The lack of consistency in defining nurse specialty and the skill transferability among institutions and state borders were evident in this review. According to all the 10 documents analysed, developed countries appear to have minimum policies on the transfer of internationally qualified nurse's specialty skills. Recommendations for policymakers, employers, and aspirant migrants have been proposed. Limited research has been done on how developed countries used their internationally qualified nurses' overseas-acquired specialist skills after immigration, indicating a lack of a distinct specialist skill transition pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

This review presents data to support the need for greater research in this area to better utilise the abilities that internationally qualified nurses bring from their home country and put them to constructive use in the host country, especially in the context of a global pandemic.

Patient-centered care - evidence in the context of professional health practice

OBJECTIVES

to analyze patient-centered attitudes in care and sharing practices of nursing, speech therapy, dentistry and medicine professionals.

METHODS

cross-sectional research was used with 411 professionals, and the Patient-Practitioner Orientation Scale instrument was applied as a measure of outcome.

RESULTS

physicians presented higher mean scores, reflecting a patient-centered orientation, shared control, and focus on the person, with statistical difference for all domains (p<0.02). Dentists were the professionals who presented lower scores, especially in the sharing domain, with statistical difference in relation to nurses, speech therapists, and physicians (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

finally, the attitudes of professionals in the health areas studied indicated self-reported preference for centrality in patients. In this context, patient-centered care can be an important resource in health care when committed to overcoming the object man.

How local, first-line nurse leaders can positively influence nurse intent to stay and retention: A realist review

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To explore evidence on how local nurse leaders can positively influence nurse retention.

BACKGROUND

Nurse turnover and retention is a wicked problem with multiple interrelated factors and no one solution. Local nurse leadership has the potential to positively influence nurse intent to stay directly or via various factors.

DESIGN

A realist review.

METHODS

Having designed a search strategy based on a tentive programme theory, 1386 initial hits in three databases were screened and reduced to 48 research articles published between 2010-2021. The articles' content were coded for findings that supported, refined or contradicted four ContextMechanismOutcome configurations.

RESULTS

Sufficient evidence was found to support four guiding lights encouraging local nurse leaders to: (1) foster relational connectedness; (2) enable professional practice autonomy; (3) cultivate healthful workplace cultures; (4) support professional growth and development. Mutuality and reciprocity is also key if leaders themselves are to experience wellbeing and growth.

CONCLUSIONS

Person-centred, transformational and resonant local nurse leaders can positively influence nurse intent to stay within the workplace or organisation.

REPORTING METHOD

Conform JCN guideline 'What to cover in the main tekst by article type' for reviews.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution.

Missed nursing care: A cross-sectional and multi-centric study from Turkey

AIM

The aim of this study is to explore the extent of missed nursing care in Turkey and identify its predictors.

DESIGN

This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, multicentre study.

METHODS

A total of 477 nurses working in seven public hospitals participated in this study from March to July 2019. The survey included two components: a personal and professional characteristics data form and the MISSCARE survey.

RESULTS

The study revealed that emotional support, patient bathing and ambulation were the most frequently missed nursing care activities. An inadequate number of assistive personnel and staff, along with an unexpected increase in patient volume, were identified as the primary reasons for missed nursing care. Of the 21 missed nursing care activities, nine predictive models showed statistical significance (p < 0.05). Factors such as the type of unit, years of work experience, working hours, number of patients cared for in a shift and intention to leave the unit were found to be significant predictors of seven missed nursing care activities (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

This study found that numerous variables influence each care activity, which suggests the need to devise more targeted and specific strategies to minimize missed nursing care. Thorough investigation into the impact of these strategies on each care activity is essential.

Interprofessional communication in a psychiatric outpatient unit - an ethnographic study

BACKGROUND

Communication in healthcare has been extensively studied, but most research has focused on miscommunication and the importance of communication for patient safety. Previous research on interprofessional communication has mainly focused on relationships between physicians and nurses in non-psychiatric settings. Since communication is one of the core competencies in psychiatric care, more research on interprofessional communication between other clinicians is needed, and should be explored from a broader perspective. This study aimed to explore and describe interprofessional communication in a psychiatric outpatient unit.

METHOD

During spring 2022, data consisting of over 100 h of fieldwork were collected from observations, formal semi-structured interviews and informal conversations inspired by the focused ethnography method. Data was collected at an outpatient unit in central Sweden, and various clinicians participated in the study. The data analysis was a back-and-forth process between initial codes and emerging themes, but also cyclical as the data analysis process was ongoing and repeated and took place simultaneously with the data collection.

RESULTS

We found that a workplace's history, clinicians´ workload, responsibilities and hierarchies influence interprofessional communication. The results showed that the prerequisites for interprofessional communication were created through the unit's code of conduct, clear and engaging leadership, and trust in the ability of the various clinicians to perform new tasks.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that leadership, an involving working style, and an environment where speaking up is encouraged and valued can foster interprofessional communication and respect for each other´s professional roles is key to achieving this. Interprofessional communication between different clinicians is an important part of psychiatric outpatient work, where efficiency, insufficient staffing and long patient queues are commonplace. Research can help shed light on these parts by highlighting aspects influencing communication.

Factors Influencing RNs' Intention to Stay in Nursing Homes: Multilevel Modeling Approach

The current study investigated factors that influence the intention to stay (ITS) of RNs working in South Korean nursing homes (NHs). Thirty-six questionnaire responses from organizational NHs and 101 from individual RNs were analyzed using multilevel regression analysis. At the individual level, RNs' ITS increased with years of work at their current NH, and that of RNs who received emergency calls to work at night was lower than that of RNs with fixed night shifts. At the organizational level, ITS was higher when the ratios of RNs to residents and RNs to nursing staff were higher. To improve ITS, NHs should consider adopting mandatory deployment of RNs, increasing their RN to resident ratios, and implementing a fixed night shift RN system, wherein night shift working hours count as twice the daytime hours, and night shift is voluntary. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 49(7), 40-48.].

Healthcare professionals' experiences of job satisfaction when providing person-centred care: a systematic review of qualitative studies

OBJECTIVES

This qualitative systematic review aimed to explore and synthesise healthcare professionals' (HCPs) experiences of job satisfaction when providing person-centred care (PCC) in healthcare settings in Europe.

METHOD

This systematic review of qualitative studies was followed by a thematic synthesis applying an inductive approach. Studies concerning HCPs and different levels of healthcare in Europe were eligible for inclusion. The CINAHL, PubMed and Scopus databases were searched. Study titles, abstracts and full texts were screened for relevance. Included studies were assessed for methodological quality using a quality appraisal checklist. Data were extracted and synthesised via thematic synthesis, generating analytical themes.

RESULTS

Seventeen studies were included in the final thematic synthesis, and eight analytical themes were derived. Most studies were conducted in Sweden and the UK and were performed in hospitals, nursing homes, elderly care and primary care. Thirteen of these studies were qualitative and four used a mixed-method design in which the qualitative part was used for analysis. HCPs experienced challenges adapting to a new remoulded professional role and felt torn and inadequate due to ambiguities between organisational structures, task-oriented care and PCC. Improved job satisfaction was experienced when providing PCC in line with ethical expectations, patients and colleagues expressed appreciation and team collaboration improved, while learning new skills generated motivation.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review found varied experiences among HCPs. Notably, the new professional role was experienced to entail disorientation and uncertainty; importantly, it also entailed experiences of job satisfaction such as meaningfulness, an improved relationship between HCPs and patients, appreciation and collaboration. To facilitate PCC implementation, healthcare organisations should focus on supporting HCPs through collaborational structures, and resources such as time, space and staffing.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022304732.

The Race to Retain Healthcare Workers: A Systematic Review on Factors that Impact Retention of Nurses and Physicians in Hospitals

The shortage of healthcare workers is a growing problem across the globe. Nurses and physicians, in particular, are vulnerable as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding why they might leave is imperative for improving retention. This systematic review explores both the prevalence of nurses and physicians who are intent on leaving their position at hospitals in European countries and the main determinants influencing job retention among nurses and physicians of their respective position in a hospital setting in both European and non-European countries. A comprehensive search was fulfilled within 3 electronic databases on June 3rd 2021. In total 345 articles met the inclusion criteria. The determinants were categorized into 6 themes: personal characteristics, job demands, employment services, working conditions, work relationships, and organizational culture. The main determinants for job retention were job satisfaction, career development and work-life balance. European and non-European countries showed similarities and differences in determinants influencing retention. Identifying these factors supports the development of multifactorial interventions, which can aid the formulation of medical strategies and help to maximize retention.

Attentes du personnel infirmier de la relève envers l’employeur pour favoriser l’engagement professionnel : un premier jalon pour la conception d’interventions organisationnelles au Québec (Canada)

Introduction: Poor work conditions jeopardize the quality of nursing jobs and increase turnover and attrition rates, especially for early career nurses and licensed practical nurses. Understanding perspectives of the nursing staff on work engagement is essential to develop innovative and responsive organizational interventions. Objectives: 1- Define the expectations of early career nursing staff with respect to their workplace in order to support work engagement 2- Identify priority actions to support work engagement at organizational level. Methods: A mixed-methods research design based on a conceptual mapping approach was used. Early career nurses and licensed practical nurses (N=14) working in a semi-urban integrated health and social services center in Quebec (Canada) were asked the following question: “What can the workplace do to promote work engagement?” Multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis were used to organize the 49 statements provided by the nursing staff. At the same time, participants prioritized actions by rating the “importance” and “probability of a successful implementation” of each statement. Results: Nursing staffs’ expectations toward their workplace in order to support work engagement were: attractive working conditions, positive leadership, safe working conditions, professional development opportunities, and personalized career path. More specifically, the priority actions identified were: showing respect, providing a healthy environment and avoiding transfer to unwanted departments. Discussion and conclusion: The results suggest several actions to promote work engagement of early career nursing staff working in semi-urban settings in Quebec, including providing human and material resources, implementing a positive organizational culture, and exercising benevolent leadership.

Knowledge, safety, and teamwork: a qualitative study on the experiences of anaesthesiologists and nurse anaesthetists working in the preanaesthesia assessment clinic

Background

The preanaesthesia assessment clinic (PAC) has been shown to contribute to safe anaesthesia assessment in hospitals. In the PAC, patients are assessed with an interview and can also ask relevant questions about anaesthesia. The intention is to ensure that patients are comprehensively prepared for the surgery and hospital stay. Although earlier studies have assessed the effects of PAC, attitudes and satisfaction of the healthcare personnel working in PAC remain unknown. Thus, this study aimed to examine the experiences of anaesthesiologists and nurse anaesthetists working in PACs as well as to explore barriers and facilitators in this context.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative approach was used to explore the experiences of anaesthesiologists and nurse anaesthetists working in PACs. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted using face-to-face, telephone, or digital platforms in five hospitals in west, south, and north Norway between 2020 and 2021. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed according to Braun and Clarke’s six-steps semantic reflexive analysis.

Results

Four themes and nine subthemes were identified through an active analysis process, including developing competence in clinical anaesthesia practice, identifying barriers and facilitators influencing collaboration and teamwork, improving patient safety and outcomes through structured assessment, and identifying other organisational factors affecting the delivery of healthcare to surgical patients.

Conclusions

Working in the PAC contributed to competence development among the personnel. Additionally, teamwork was considered important for the proper functioning of the PAC. Patient safety was perceived as improved owning to the structured assessment in PAC, with patients getting the opportunity to improve their knowledge and being more involved in the upcoming anaesthesia.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12871-022-01852-w.

Registered nurses' perceptions of their career - an interview study

AIM

To explore registered nurses' perceptions of their career.

BACKGROUND

Career development options have been found to increase attraction to nursing and support nurses' engagement with their organisation and profession.

METHODS

Qualitative individual interviews with 23 registered nurses; data analysed with thematic analysis and reported according to the COREQ criteria.

RESULTS

Three themes emerged: career choices, career engagement, and career development. Participants had chosen a nursing career because they perceived it as humane, people-oriented, meaningful, diverse and secure work. Participants' engagement in their career was connected to the content of the work, in which direct patient care was central. Nurses connected career development with high competency, independence, influence and meaningful working life experience. However, they perceived career development opportunities as minute within direct patient care.

CONCLUSIONS

Career development opportunities for nurses in direct patient care are needed to foster their career engagement and the attractiveness of the nursing profession. Further research is needed on the career planning and development of nurses working in patient care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Nurse managers must play a central role in engaging nurses in their careers and promoting their competency and career planning and development in organizations.

Does registered nurse involvement in improving healthcare services, influence registered nurse retention?

Background

Registered nurses are ‘critical’ to population health, international responses to emergencies, epidemics and disasters. Retention of registered nurses (RNs) is an international nursing priority. In England, RNs are encouraged to be involved in improving healthcare services. This benefits quality of care, operational and financial performance. However, RN involvement in improvement may reduce RN retention. It is important to understand this relationship when developing effective RN retention strategies.

Aim

The purpose of this research is to describe possible relationships between RN involvement in improving healthcare services and RN retention, using published 2018 data for National Health Service (NHS) Trusts in England.

Methods

The relationship between RN involvement in improving healthcare services and RN retention was explored using a correlational design, involving secondary data from the annual NHS Staff Survey and Model Hospital.

Results

In mental health NHS Trusts in England, a statistically significant, positive correlation of 0.24 was found between RN ‘ab(ility) to make suggestions for improvement’ and RN retention. In mental health NHS Trusts, a statistically significant correlation of 0.278 was found between RNs ‘making improvements happen’ and RN retention. In acute NHS Trusts in England, a statistically significant, negative correlation of −0.15 was identified between RNs ‘mak(ing) improvements happen’ and RN retention.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that RN retention factors in mental health and acute NHS Trusts differ from community and specialist NHS Trusts in England. This is an important consideration for national RN retention programmes as a single approach to RN retention may not be effective across all healthcare settings.

Efeito do modelo de Cuidado Centrado no Paciente na satisfação do profissional de saúde: revisão sistemática

RESUMO Objetivo Analisar o efeito do modelo de Cuidado Centrado no Paciente na satisfação de profissionais de saúde enfermeiros, fonoaudiólogos ou odontólogos, que atendem adultos hospitalizados. Método Revisão Sistemática realizada de outubro/2020 a março/2021, nas bases PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science e LILACS. Incluídos estudos observacionais e intervencionais, relacionando o efeito do Cuidado Centrado no Paciente na satisfação dos profissionais. As ferramentas Cochrane Collaboration Tool e Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument avaliaram a qualidade metodológica dos estudos. Resultados O efeito do cuidado centrado no paciente na satisfação profissional não foi identificado em fonoaudiólogos ou odontólogos. Nove artigos selecionados o relacionam aos enfermeiros. Os preditores de satisfação apontaram para fatores relacionados às relações interpessoais, cuidados para o paciente e organização no trabalho. Conclusão O modelo do Cuidado Centrado no Paciente pode constituir estratégia facilitadora para a satisfação no trabalho do enfermeiro. Contudo a atual literatura científica ainda necessita de mais estudos para fortalecer a evidência existente.

Effect of the patient-centered care model on health professional satisfaction: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Objective To analyze the effect of the Patient-Centered Care model on the satisfaction of health professionals, nurses, speech therapists or dentists, who care for hospitalized adults. Method Systematic Review conducted from October/2020 to March/2021 at PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science and LILACS databases. Observational and interventional studies were included, relating the effect of Patient-Centered Care on the satisfaction of professionals. The Cochrane Collaboration Tool and Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument tools assessed the methodological quality of the studies. Results The effect of patient-centered care on job satisfaction was not identified in speech therapists or dentists. Nine selected articles relate it to nurses. Predictors of satisfaction pointed to factors related to interpersonal relationships, patient care and work organization. Conclusion The Patient-Centered Care model can be a facilitating strategy for nurses’ job satisfaction. However, the current scientific literature still needs further studies to strengthen existing evidence.

A mentoring programme to meet newly graduated nurses' needs and give senior nurses a new career opportunity: A multiple-case study

AIM

To evaluate the implementation of a multifaceted mentoring programme in a large university hospital and describe its value from the perspectives of newly graduated nurses, experienced nurses and the hospital organisation.

BACKGROUND

Healthcare organisations need long-term competence-planning strategies to retain nurses, prevent their premature departure from the profession and use their competencies. This paper reports a mentoring programme focused on supporting newly graduated nurse' transition to practice and senior nurses' professional development as supervisors.

DESIGN

A multiple-case study.

METHODS

We performed 35 interviews with nurses, supervisors and nurse managers in the five units that implemented the programme, mapped the programme at the hospital level and extracted the nurses' working hours. The interviews were analysed thematically using the theoretical lens of the head-heart-hand model to interpret the results.

RESULTS

Of 46 units in the hospital, 14 had implemented one or several of the components in the mentoring programme. The programme corresponded to the newly graduated nurses' needs, gave senior nurses a new career opportunity and contributed to an attractive workplace. The main theme, Giving new nurses confidence, experienced nurses a positive challenge and the organisation an opportunity to learn, reflects the value of the programme's supervisory model to new and experienced nurses and to the organisation as a whole.

CONCLUSION

The mentoring programme appeared to be a promising way to smooth the transition for newly graduated nurses. The experienced supervising nurses were key to the success of this complex programme, supporting the new nurses at the bedside and being available to respond to their questions and reflections. Embedding the supervisors in the units' daily practice was necessary to the success of the different parts of the programme. Despite the strategic and well-designed implementation of this mentoring programme aimed to solve the everyday challenge of nurse shortages in the hospital, it was a challenge to implement it fully in all the units studied.

Zombies Wanted! Descriptions of Nurses in Psychiatric-Mental Health Care in Swedish Recruitment Advertisements

Knowledge of how nurses are described in recruitment advertisements can aid assessment of the current status of professional psychiatric-mental health nursing and inform services dealing with the challenges of nurse recruitment. This study used content analysis to explore descriptions of nurses in psychiatric-mental health care in a purposive sample of 75 recruitment advertisements collected in Sweden in February 2019. The descriptions were interpreted as focussing on their being willing and able to function in discouraging practice environments, matching the ideal of psychiatric-mental health nursing poorly. The study suggested a need to align the ideals and realities of the nursing profession.

Creating Empowering Conditions for Nurses with Workplace Autonomy and Agency: How Healthcare Leaders Could Be Guided by Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare Leadership (SBNH-L)

The COVID-19 pandemic had the unintended consequence of placing nurses in the spotlight because their knowledge and skills were in desperate need. While it will be years until we fully understand the impact that this pandemic has exacted on the nursing workforce, early studies have found that nurses have been traumatized by this event and many intend to leave the profession This seismic event only further exacerbated an already vulnerable and strained nursing workforce that pre-existed worldwide prior to COVID-19. The pandemic also highlighted the many challenges facing nursing leadership, in particular, how to create conditions to maintain and sustain a healthy nursing workforce. Nurses’ job satisfaction has emerged as an important predictor of whether nurses remain in an organization and stay in the profession. When examined more closely, job satisfaction has been related to nurses feeling empowered to exercise autonomy over their own practice and having agency. Autonomy and agency, in turn, are affected by their managers' leadership styles. Leaders are instrumental in setting the tone and creating the climate and culture that either values or devalues autonomy and agency. To help leaders create empowering conditions, we have developed a guide for leaders. This guide, based on the value-driven philosophy of leadership called Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare Leadership (SBNH-L), is founded on principles of person-centered, empowerment, relationship-focused, and innate capacities (ie, strengths) that are operationalized in eight core values. This guide can be used by leaders as their roadmap to create empowering workplace conditions that value and facilitate nurses’ autonomy and agency.

Preserving nurses' professional dignity: Six evidence-based strategies

AIM

This study aimed to develop and refine strategies for preserving nurses' professional dignity.

BACKGROUND

Professional dignity is a non-negotiable nursing professional value. It should at all times be respected because of the worthiness of nurses as professional human beings. They are at the centre of healthcare societies. Their worth and contributions to the health of others should be acknowledged and preserved.

METHODS

Descriptive qualitative research was conducted during the development of the strategies while applying the principles of strategic navigation. The process was guided by the findings of the initial phase of the study and contextualised literature. Focus group discussions were held with healthcare professionals for the refinement of the strategies in two private hospitals in South Africa.

FINDINGS

The strategies unfolded multiple possibilities to value nurses' professional dignity. These were pathways for respecting, appreciating and supporting nurses; honouring nurses' desire to hold the well-being of patients in the highest regard; supporting nurses in fulfilling their professional roles; enabling nurses to take pride in themselves and the nursing profession; supporting nurses in demanding and complex circumstances and supporting nurses in coping with humiliating workplace experiences.

CONCLUSION

Strategies to ensure successful outcomes in preserving nurses' professional dignity were developed and refined. The professional dignity experiences that mattered most were presented.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING/HEALTH POLICY

Valuing nurses' professional dignity promotes respect and support for nurses and their desire to prioritise patient-centred care, contributing to improved nursing practice and nurses' confidence to assert their professional dignity. Preserving nurses' professional dignity is a necessity in healthcare. It should be affirmed in equal standing in nursing codes of conduct, nursing curriculums and healthcare policies.

Does professional identity play a critical role in the choice to remain in the nursing profession?

AIM

To explore aspects of professional identity in nurses' written narratives of what is significant to their choice to remain in the profession.

DESIGN

This study used a qualitative design and was underpinned by a hermeneutical approach.

METHODS

The participants were recruited via purposive sampling procedures and included 13 nurses aged 26 to 62 years. The data were collected in the form of written narratives to initiate the nurses' reflections on the decision to remain in the profession. A thematic analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed two themes: acting as a professional contributor and realigning to maintain professional belongingness. In the nurses' written narratives, these aspects of professional identity were clearly significant to their choice to remain in the profession. In a complexly interwoven way, the aspects constructed who the nurses were as professionals, and thus, professional identity seems to play a critical role in the choice to remain.

Why do pharmacists leave the profession? A mixed-method exploratory study

Background:

Recent New Zealand policy documents aim for pharmacists to be retained, and promote the provision of extended clinical pharmacy services. However, younger pharmacists have expressed dissatisfaction with the profession on informal social for a.

Objectives:

To explore the characteristics, and perspectives of pharmacy as a career, of recent Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm, four-year degree) graduates who have left, or are seriously considering leaving the New Zealand pharmacy profession in the near future and where they have gone, or plan to go.

Methods:

We conducted a cross-sectional study with a mixed-method explanatory sequential design. An anonymous online survey among those who completed their pharmacy undergraduate degree (BPharm or equivalent) in 2003 or later and who had left or who were seriously considering leaving the New Zealand pharmacy profession in the next five years, was open from 1^st December 2018 to 1^st February 2019. Recruitment occurred via University alumni databases, pharmacy professional organisations, pharmaceutical print media, social media and word-of-mouth. Ten semi-structured interviews were then conducted with a purposive sample of survey respondents. Descriptive statistics were generated from the quantitative data and qualitative data were analysed using manifest content analysis.

Results:

We received 327 analysable surveys of which 40.4% (n=132) were from those who had already left the New Zealand pharmacy sector at the time of the data collection and the rest (59.6% n=195) were those working within the sector, but seriously considering leaving the profession. Reasons most commonly reported for studying pharmacy were having an interest in health and wanting to work with people. The most common reasons for leaving, or wanting to leave, were dissatisfaction with the professional environment, including inadequate remuneration, and a perceived lack of career pathways or promotion opportunities. A wide range of career destinations were declared, with medicine being most frequently reported.

Conclusions:

Most of the reasons for leaving/considering leaving the profession reported relate to the values and features of the pharmacy profession such as the professional environment, remuneration and career pathways. These findings are consistent with other studies and may represent a barrier to achieving the aims of recent health policy documents.

The role of organizational factors in how efficiency-thoroughness trade-offs potentially affect clinical quality dimensions – a review of the literature

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to increase knowledge of the role organizational factors have in how health personnel make efficiency-thoroughness trade-offs, and how these trade-offs potentially affect clinical quality dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a thematic synthesis of the literature concerning health personnel working in clinical, somatic healthcare services, organizational factors and clinical quality.

Findings

Identified organizational factors imposing trade-offs were high workload, time limits, inappropriate staffing and limited resources. The trade-offs done by health personnel were often trade-offs weighing thoroughness (e.g. providing extra handovers or working additional hours) in an environment weighing efficiency (e.g. ward routines of having one single handover and work-hour regulations limiting physicians' work hours). In this context, the health personnel functioned as regulators, balancing efficiency and thoroughness and ensuring patient safety and patient centeredness. However, sometimes organizational factors limited health personnel's flexibility in weighing these aspects, leading to breached medication rules, skipped opportunities for safety debriefings and patients being excluded from medication reviews.

Originality/value

Balancing resources and healthcare demands while maintaining healthcare quality is a large part of health personnel's daily work, and organizational factors are suspected to affect this balancing act. Yet, there is limited research on this subject. With the expected aging of the population and the subsequent pressure on healthcare services' resources, the balancing between efficiency and thoroughness will become crucial in handling increased healthcare demands, while maintaining high-quality care.

Components of the Magnet® model provide structure for the future vision of nurse managers' work: A qualitative perspective of nurse managers

AIM

To describe nurse managers' views of their work in the future.

BACKGROUND

Ongoing reformation of health care organisations includes profound changes to nurse managers' work practices.

METHOD

A qualitative approach was applied to elicit views of nurse managers (n = 133) from eight Finnish specialized medical care hospitals through one open-ended question about their future work in November 2019. The acquired data were subjected to inductive thematic content analysis.

RESULTS

Four themes were identified in the nurse managers' responses, indicating that they anticipated: 1) a shift from hierarchical leadership to shared governance, 2) an increasing focus on proactive and systematic work, 3) development of evidence-based practices and 4) improvement in the attractiveness and effectiveness of the organisation.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse managers envisage their future work will follow the transformational leadership model. Shared governance and multidisciplinary team leading, with a stronger focus on proactive strategic planning will extend their power to influence decision-making. Administrative supporting systems will free more time from their daily routine work for interactions with staff.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Clarification of the managers' job description along with administrative support systems is anticipated to strengthen leadership, facilitate management, enhance decision-making and increase the attractiveness and effectiveness of both health care organisations and nurse managers' work.

Effects of Optimism on Work Satisfaction Among Nurses: A Mediation Model Through Work-Family Conflict

Background: Nurses are suffering from various stressors which adversely impact their work satisfaction and mental health. Research is scarce on optimism, one of the positive psychological resource which may reduce work-family conflict and improve work satisfaction. Objectives: This study aims to assess work satisfaction among Chinese nurses and to observe and illustrate the relationships among optimism, work-family conflict, and work satisfaction. Methods: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study with stratified sampling. From September 2019 to December 2020, a self-administered WeChat questionnaire was collected from 768 nurses online in China to evaluate the nurses' work satisfaction, optimism, and work-family conflict. Spearman correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were applied to examine associated factors of work satisfaction. A structural equation model was employed to test the mediating effect of work-family conflict in the relationship between optimism and work satisfaction. Results: Optimism were observed to have a positive correlation with work satisfaction while the correlation between work-family conflict and work satisfaction was observed to be negative. Optimism and work-family conflict explained 4.8 and 9.2% of the incremental variances of work satisfaction, respectively. Work-family conflict served as a mediator in the relationship between optimism and work satisfaction. Conclusions: Nurses in China experienced high levels of work satisfaction. Optimism could increase the chance of higher work satisfaction while work-family conflict increased the risk of lower work satisfaction. Psychological interventions and improvement of working conditions are essential to relieve work-family conflicts and enhance work satisfaction.

Why Do They Stay? Intention to Stay among Registered Nurses in Nursing Homes

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with nursing home (NH) registered nurses’ (RNs’) intention to stay in their workplace. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was used in this study. Organizational NH data were acquired from the administrators of 56 NHs. Individual RN data were acquired from 189 RNs in 56 NHs across Korea. The questionnaire assessed RNs’ intention to stay in their workplace as well as potential associated factors, including individual and organizational factors. Multilevel regression analysis was used to determine which factors explain RNs’ intention to stay in their workplace. Findings: NH RNs’ intention to stay was positively associated with RNs’ years of experience in NHs, career promotion opportunities, and perceptions of NH resident safety culture. At the organizational level, no factors were found to significantly relate to the intention to stay of NH RNs. Conclusions: Although this study found that organizational factors have no statistically significant relationship with RNs’ intention to stay, organizational support must precede changes in individual factors that have significant relationships. Clinical Relevance: Organizational (NH) and individual (RN) efforts must be made to enhance RNs’ intention to stay because individual factors can change after implementing efforts such as providing educational programs, promotional opportunities, and forming a positive resident safety culture at an organizational level.

Are data on missed nursing care useful for nursing leaders? The RN4CAST@IT cross-sectional study

AIM

To describe nurses' reported missed nursing care activities among hospitalized adult patients medical and surgical wards and explore gaps in service provision.

BACKGROUND

In 2015, Italy replicated the RN4CAST study, which heralded the exposition of missed care as an international phenomenon. In Italy, nurse-patient workload is high, with high levels of burnout and dissatisfaction reported, all factors associated with missed care.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study (n = 3,590) was conducted using the 13-item online Task Left Undone Tool aimed at collecting data on missed nursing care.

RESULTS

The frequency of omission of activities ranged between 7% and 50%. There were significant differences between morning, afternoon and night shifts and the various clinical settings. Oral care was the most frequently missed care activity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study takes step forward in identifying and reducing missed care on medical and surgical wards, both in Italy and also internationally, which needs to take into account the specific organisational characteristics of each setting.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Although more essential activities are missed less frequently, much is known about the relational deficits such as information giving, education, communication and discharge advice, which managers ought to spearhead through local initiatives to improve these practices.

Development and evaluation of a prospective staffing model to improve retention

AIMS

To improve predictability and accuracy of hiring using historical staffing data, quality improvement and workforce engagement.

BACKGROUND

Twenty-three per cent of newly licensed nurses leave their first job within one year, costing employers $52,100 per nurse replacement. Tools for anticipatory hiring strategies are not available in the literature.

METHODS

We used retrospective, secondary data analysis to develop a Prospective Staffing Model and conduct a five-year longitudinal evaluation of the implementation of the model in a convenience sample at a quaternary academic Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit. We used a team-based, quality improvement approach to restructure recruitment and hiring strategies, standardize new graduate nurse orientation and implement AACN Healthy Work Environment standards.

RESULTS

Over the five-year prospective evaluation period (2014-2018), 388 nurses were hired and included in the evaluation cohort. Retention increased (n = 286 days) and turnover decreased (17.6%) between 2014 and 2018. Improvements in workforce stability were sustained at five years.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a Prospective Staffing Model is associated with improved nurse retention and decreased turnover, and may improve workforce stability.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Results suggest that an innovative tool can mitigate the deleterious effects of turnover, adding to current knowledge and providing a method for anticipatory assessment of local turnover.