Effects of perceived workplace politics in hospitals on nurses' behavioural intentions in Ghana

Challenges and coping strategies of nurses and midwives after maternity leave: A cross-sectional study in a human resource-constrained setting in Ghana

AIM

This study examined the challenges and coping strategies adopted by nurses and midwives after child birth when they return to work.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional design was used.

METHOD

Two hundred nurses and midwives with history of maternity leave were recruited from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to take part in this study. Data were collected using a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. The data were analysed with the aid of Stata 13.0.

RESULTS

Most of the respondents claimed that they received support from relatives, day care centres and paid house helps while they resumed work. Seventy percent of the respondents indicated that they were given off day when they needed to send their child for postnatal care. Nurses and midwives depend on family members, paid house helps and day care centres to help them cater for their babies. It is recommended that hospitals set-up day care centres and breastfeeding bays attached to the institutions.

Burnout syndrome among healthcare workers during COVID-19 Pandemic in Accra, Ghana

BACKGROUND

The emergence of the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has increased the workload of health workers particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa predisposing them to extra job-related stress and its associated job-related burnout. Burnout reduces the number, distribution and productivity of health workers. This study sought to determine personal and job-related characteristics of health workers in Accra, Ghana that influenced their experience of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,264 health workers recruited from three public hospitals in Accra, Ghana between March to November, 2020. The participants were recruited using a proportionate stratified sampling technique and completed a pre-tested questionnaire that collected information on socio-demographic and job-related factors. Also, the questionnaire assessed participants' level of resilience and job-related burnout. Pearson's chi-square test was used to determine the association between burnout and the socio-demographic as well as job-related factors. However, for variables with observations less than six, a Fisher's exact test, was used to determine the associations. After the binary analysis, multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine the strength of association between the socio-demographic as well as job-related factors and burnout. Data analyses were conducted at a significant level (alpha 0.05) and power of 95% confidence with the aid of Stata 15.0.

RESULTS

The prevalence of burnout among the participants was 20.57% with non-clinicians displaying higher burnout compared to clinicians (26.74&% v 15.64%, p< 0.001). Health workers with 1-5 years working experience were 26.81 more likely to experience burnout (AOR = 26.81, CI = 6.37-112.9). Night shifts defined as shifts between 8:00pm to 8:00am was associated with the 1.86 odds of experiencing burnout (OR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.33-2.61; p<0.001). Also, participants of the primary level facility were 3.91 times more likely (AOR = 3.91, 95% CI = 2.39-6.41) to experience burnout on the job. Similarly, participants with additional jobs were 1.14 times more likely (AOR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.75-1.74) to experience burnout. In addition, participants harboring intentions of leaving their current jobs were 4.61 times more likely (AOR = 4.61, 95% CI = 2.73-7.78) to experience burnout. Furthermore, participants with perceived high workload were 2.38 times more likely (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI = 1.40-4.05) to experience burnt-out on the job.

CONCLUSION

There is high prevalence of burnout among health workers in Accra particularly during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Working on night shifts and at the primary level of healthcare is significantly associated with increased odds of experiencing burnout.We recommend shift rotation for staff and adequate resource provision for primary level hospitals. The high burnout in this study could be influenced by other factors such as the grief caused by multiple losses and also the limited supportive resources for health workers.

The Relationship Between Positive Perceptions Toward Organizational Politics and the Work-Related Outcomes of Nurses

BACKGROUND

Organizational politics (OP) exists to varying degrees in all organizations. OP plays an important role in creating synergy between employees and the goals of the organization.

PURPOSE

We aimed to investigate the relationship between positive perceptions toward OP and work-related outcomes in nurses, including stress level, burnout level, turnover intention, and job satisfaction.

METHODS

This descriptive, analytical study was conducted from April to June 2018 on nurses at Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences Hospitals in Neyshabur, northeastern Iran. The study included 280 nurses working in two teaching hospitals. Five standardized tools were used, including the Perception of Organizational Politics Scale, the Nursing Stress Scale, the Burnout Measure Scale, the Turnover Intention Inventory Scale, and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire.

RESULTS

The results indicate that the participants did not hold positive perceptions toward OP. The mean Perception of Organizational Politics Scale score was 2.63 ± 0.55. Multiple linear regression analyses showed a significant and positive relationship between positive perception toward OP and job satisfaction and a negative relationship between positive perception toward OP and turnover intention, burnout, and job stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses who perceive the work environment to be political will experience greater levels of stress, turnover intention, and burnout and lower levels of job satisfaction. Politics is an issue that should be handled by all levels of management. Managers should use supportive, nonpolitical workplace strategies to improve the work-related outcomes of employees.

Fatores associados ao absenteísmo-doença de trabalhadores da saúde: revisão de escopo

Objetivo: identificar os fatores associados ao absenteísmo-doença de trabalhadores da saúde.Síntese de conteúdo: esta revisão de escopo da literatura realizada nas bases de dados Medline via PubMed incluiu 106 estudos, que totalizaram 388.381 profissionais de saúde. Foi identificado que os fatores individuais e interpessoais, relacionados ao cargo e à função, assim como os fatores ambientais e organizacionais influenciam a ocorrência do absenteísmo-doença no ambiente hospitalar.Conclusões: os fatores individuais e interpessoais, relacionados ao cargo e à função, assim como os fatores ambientais e organizacionais influenciam no absenteísmo-doença dos trabalhadores da saúde, com impacto tanto sobre a produtividade quanto sobre a continuidade da assistência prestada por esses profissionais. A ausência não programada destes leva à necessidade de contratação de outros servidores ou ao pagamento de horas excedentes para atender à demanda, o que pode agravar a situação econômica e financeira do sistema de saúde, e afetar diretamente a saúde de toda a população que depende desse sistema.

Investigating the Role of Psychological Contract Breach, Political Skill and Work Ethic on Perceived Politics and Job Attitudes Relationships: A Case of Higher Education in Pakistan

This study aims to investigate how a Psychological contract breach can mediate the relationship between perceptions of organizational politics and job attitudes and how political skill and work ethic can influence the negative association between perceptions of organizational politics and job attitudes. A systematic sampling method was used with a sampling size of 310 faculty members of public sector universities of Pakistan. Data were analyzed by using partial least squares structural equations modeling PLS-SEM to test the hypotheses by Smart PLS software. The findings revealed that the perception of politics is significantly and negatively related to job attitudes and indirectly through psychological contract breach. Moreover, the results indicated a significant moderating effect of work ethic on the relationship between the perception of politics and job attitudes. However, political skill did not moderate the relationship between perceptions of organizational politics and job attitudes. Moreover, research implications and limitations are elucidated.

Predictors and outcomes of nurse professional autonomy: A cross-sectional study

AIMS

This paper is a report examining the level of professional autonomy as well as its predictors and outcomes among practicing nurses in the Philippines.

METHODS

This study adopted a descriptive, cross-sectional research design. One hundred sixty-six (n = 166) nurses participated in the study or a response rate of 83% during the months of January 2017 to May 2017. Seven self-reported scales were used for this study: the Nurse Autonomy Scale, Job Stress Scale, Burnout Measure Scale, Job Satisfaction Index, Organizational Commitment Questionnaire, Turnover Intention Inventory Scale, and the Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the collected data.

RESULTS

Nurses demonstrated moderate levels of professional autonomy with education and hospital bed capacity as strong predictors. Regression analysis showed positive effects of professional autonomy on nurses' job outcomes such as organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and work performance.

CONCLUSION

Consistent to international studies, nurses in the Philippines demonstrated moderate levels of professional autonomy. Nurses who had higher levels of autonomy tended to be high performing, satisfied, and committed in their jobs. Organizational efforts are critically important to foster autonomy in practicing nurses through adequate support, education, training, and developed policies.

Proposta de gestão do absenteísmo da enfermagem hospitalar: uma revisão sistemática

Resumo Objetivo: Investigar na literatura o conhecimento disponível sobre a interdependência dos agentes desencadeantes do absenteísmo da enfermagem hospitalar para inferir, a partir de uma perspectiva multicausal, possíveis ações de gestão e controle. Métodos: Revisão sistemática compreendendo o recorte temporal de 2013 à 2017, utilizando descritores operacionalizados em bases de dados indexadas do portal da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES). A busca seguiu a metodologia Statement Preferred Reporting items For Systematic Reviews And Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) auxiliada pelo software EndNote®. Resultados: Finalizado o processo de depuração dos 269 artigos recuperados, 39 atenderam aos critérios de inclusão estabelecidos e, deles, 23,08% atribuiu a origem do absenteísmo a causas diversas não específicas. A organização do trabalho foi identificada como causa em 20,51% do material analisado, os adoecimentos musculoesqueléticos 15,38% e, os transtornos mentais e comportamentais totalizaram 10,26%. A síndrome de Burnout, 7,69% dos artigos, a satisfação no trabalho e os aspectos psicossociais 5,13% cada, relacionamento com demais membros das equipes, assédio e resiliência, ambiente laboral, fadiga e conflitos com o paciente, cada um, com 2,56% dos artigos analisados na revisão sistemática. Conclusão: Pelos resultados obtidos, concluiu-se que o absenteísmo deve ser tratado a partir de uma perspectiva múltipla, holística, epidemiológica e prospectiva através de variáveis organizacionais, físicas e cognitivas compatíveis com as análises multicausais.

Organizational politics, nurses' stress, burnout levels, turnover intention and job satisfaction

AIM

This is a research report examining the influence of organizational politics perceptions on nurses' work outcomes (job satisfaction, work stress, job burnout and turnover intention).

BACKGROUND

Organizational politics is a phenomenon common in almost all institutions and is linked with undesirable consequences in employees.

INTRODUCTION

Despite the plethora of research around the world on this topic, studies describing organizational politics in nursing remain underexplored.

METHODS

A cross-sectional research design was utilized in this study. One hundred sixty-six (166) nurses participated. Five standardized tools were used: the Job Satisfaction Index, the Job Stress Scale, the Burnout Measure Scale, the Turnover Intention Inventory Scale and the Perception of Organizational Politics Scale.

RESULTS

Nurses employed both in private and government-owned hospitals perceived moderate levels of organizational politics. Positive correlations were identified between perceived organizational politics and job stress, turnover intention and job burnout. Negative correlations were found between perceived organizational politics and job satisfaction.

DISCUSSION

Perceptions of workplace politics in Filipino nurses were lower when compared to findings in other international studies. A strong link was found between organizational politics perceptions and the four job outcomes (stress and burnout levels, turnover intention and job satisfaction).

LIMITATIONS

Use of a self-reporting questionnaire and exclusion of nurses from other provinces.

CONCLUSION

Perceived organizational politics predicted nurses' stress and burnout levels, turnover intention and job satisfaction.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND/OR HEALTH POLICY

The findings of this study may provide a valuable perspective of this organizational issue and could assist policymakers and nurse administrators in formulating interventions that could minimize the effect of workplace politics.