Nurses' Quality of Life Scale: validation and psychometric properties

Nurses quality of life, sleep disturbance, and intention to leave critical care units: A cross-sectional moderated mediation analysis

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to explore the complex relationships between personal and demographic factors, intermediary factors such as quality of life (depression, anxiety, stress, burnout), and the mediating impact of sleep disturbance on nurses' intention to leave critical care units.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional quantitative survey.

SETTING

Data were collected from registered nurses at a major university hospital in southern Italy. Seven inpatient critical care units were sampled.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Intention to leave critical care units.

RESULTS

We included 160 participants recruited over five weeks in May and June 2023. The data showed that most were female, married, and possessed a bachelor's degree in nursing. The mean quality of life score was moderate, while stress, anxiety, and burnout were mild. A significant percentage of nurses reported poor sleep quality. Logistic regression indicates that service length did not significantly impact the intention to leave. The structural equation model showed that stress positively correlated with emotional exhaustion, whereas job quality was negatively associated with emotional exhaustion and the intention to leave. Sleep disturbance did not explain the relationship between stress and emotional fatigue; however, the results revealed that male gender moderated sleep mediation.

CONCLUSIONS

This study investigated factors influencing intention to leave among critical care unit nurses. The results suggest that the role of sleep disturbance should always be considered when assessing the issue. In this chain of causes, sleep disturbance explains the relationship between stress and emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, the strength of this mediation was influenced by gender, particularly by the male gender.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Stress and emotional exhaustion significantly impact nurses' working quality of life, particularly when sleep quality is taken into account. This leads to a higher intention to leave critical care units. To reduce this tendency, healthcare managers could implement specific evidence-based interventions to promote a good climate of work, which would positively affect stress, emotional exhaustion and sleep disturbance. The likelihood of intention to leave decreased with achieving personal self-fulfilment among nurses.

Quality of life of critical care nurses and impact on anxiety, depression, stress, burnout and sleep quality: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate how anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, and sleep quality impact on Quality of life of critical care nurses.

BACKGROUND

Several studies reported that critical care nurses are exposed to a high risk of anxiety, depression, burnout, stress, and sleep quality, but we do not know the impact of critical care nurses.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

METHODS

We have included all critical care nurses working in the intensive care unit for at least six months. Data were collected from December 1, 2021, to March 18, 2022. We evaluated the critical care nurses using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS), Maslach Burnout Inventory scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Nurse Quality of Life. The primary endpoint is Quality of Life. Associations were tested using multivariate modelling.

RESULTS

A total of 140 critical care nurses were included. Multivariate regression showed the relation between emotional QoL and emotional exhaustion and DASS total score [OR = 0.14; 95% CI (0.03-0.73); p = 0.019 and OR = 3.64; 95% CI (1.07-12.32); p = 0.038, respectively]. Personal accomplishment and DASS total score have a direct relationship on quality of work-life [OR = 0.21; 95% CI (0.05-0.82); p = 0.024 and OR = 4.18; 95% CI (1.01-17.33); p = 0.049, respectively].

CONCLUSIONS

The physical quality of life is not optimal in critical care nurses, while burnout and the DASS score directly impact the emotional and work-life quality of life.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Our research has highlighted the importance of detecting the quality of life of critical care nurses. The nurses should take proper care of their health by adopting the right health behaviours to create correct work conditions and increase the quality of care for critically ill patients.

Work-related stress, job satisfaction, and quality of work life among cardiovascular nurses in Italy: Structural equation modeling

AIM

To investigate the simultaneous effects of work-related stress and job satisfaction on cardiovascular nurses' quality of work life.

BACKGROUND

Prior research has investigated nurses' work-related stress, job satisfaction, and quality of work life as separate aspects and not in specific nursing settings, such as cardiovascular wards. Cardiovascular care settings can be particularly stressful for nurses, who are often faced with distress, depression and patients and caregivers' physical and psychological exhaustion.

METHODS

A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among 1126 cardiovascular nurses from 10 hospitals in Italy. Work-related stress, job satisfaction, and quality of work life were measured using valid and reliable questionnaires. Structural equation modeling was performed.

RESULTS

Nurses working in critical cardiac care units experienced more stress than their colleagues working in other cardiac units. Nurses working in cardiac outpatient clinics reported lower quality of work life than those working in other cardiac settings. There was a negative relationship between work-related stress and nurses' quality of work life, which was partially mediated by job satisfaction, indicating that stress generated by the work environment negatively affect nurses' quality of work life by reducing their job satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

Cardiovascular nurses' quality of work life is negatively affected by work-related stress. The work-related stress is mediated through job satisfaction. Nurse managers should maximize nurses' job satisfaction by providing comfort at work, supporting professional development opportunities, sharing organizational objectives, and actively listening and addressing nurses' concerns. When cardiovascular nurses' quality of work life is elevated, patients' care quality and outcomes are improved.

Quality of life as a mediating factor in the relationship between fatigue and perception of safety among critical care nurses in the United Arab Emirates

BACKGROUND

A scientific understanding of the relationships between intensive care unit nurses' well-being and patient safety will allow nurse managers, administrators, and policymakers to simultaneously manage crucial organisational goals of nurses' health and patient safety. Understanding predictors of fatigue among intensive care unit nurses may help to balance personal and organisational impacts (e.g., turnover intention, sick leave) and provide a way to positively influence their safety perception.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the association between work fatigue and perception of patient safety among nurses working in critical care units and determine whether their quality of life levels mediated this relationship.

METHODS

This study used a cross-sectional correlational comparative design. Participants were a sample of 250 intensive care unit nurses recruited conveniently from three large hospitals in the United Arab Emirates. The self-reported questionnaire included the Nursing Quality of Life Scale, the Fatigue Severity Scale, and the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ)-ICU version, as well as sociodemographic characteristics and work-related information.

RESULTS

Of the 250 participating nurses, 76.8 % reported low QoL. There was a statistically significant correlation between nurses' Quality of Life and fatigue levels (r = 0.234, P = 0.000). Overall, 52.8 % of the sample had high fatigue and 49.6 % had poor safety perception. Multiple regression analysis using the Baron and Kenny approach showed that QoL, marital status, gender, and work environment were predictors of nurses' perception of safety.

CONCLUSION

Intensive care unit nurses had high levels of fatigue and poor Quality of Life. High Quality of Life and a favourable work environment were independent predictors of good patient safety perception. Efforts should be directed to maximize staffing resources that positively impact patient safety. These findings are comparable with international studies, suggesting that these issues may be ubiquitous.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Intensive care practitioners, managers and policymakers should adopt measures to modify intensive care nurses' exhausting working conditions and provide a supportive environment. these interventions might improve nurses' perception of patient safety and consequently prevent safety incidents.