Mental Workload and Job Satisfaction in Healthcare Workers: The Moderating Role of Job Control

Caring for those who care: key challenges and improvement opportunities for health professionals working with children with disabilities

This paper investigates the challenges faced by health professionals working with children with disabilities, with the aim of identifying areas for improvement. Employing a focus group method, the study involved knowledge levelling, discussions, problematization, cause formulation, and validation. A diverse team of ten professionals participated, including physiotherapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, nursing technicians, and social workers. Findings reveal organisational inflexibility in appointment scheduling, lack of deadlines affecting case monitoring, and the mental strain of immediate clinical responses. Effective communication and multidisciplinary care emerge as beneficial. Proposed improvements include flexible space utilisation, enhanced room design, structured collaboration training, role clarification, parent partnerships, flexible scheduling, and continuous professional development. This study unveils unique challenges and rewards in the healthcare environment, offering insights into causative factors and practical strategies for enhancing the work of health professionals working with children with disabilities.

Influencing factors associated with mental workload among nurses: A latent profile analysis

Objective

This study aimed to examine the latent profile of nurses' mental workload (MWL) and explore the influencing factors via a person-centred approach.

Methods

From March to July 2023, a quantitative cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate 526 Chinese clinical nurses from five tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, by using demographic information, the Perceived Social Support Scale, Simplified Coping Skill Questionnaire, and NASA-Task Load Index. Latent profile analyses were performed using Mplus 7.3 software. Pearson's chi-squared and logistic regression analysis was done using SPSS 24.0 software.

Results

Three profiles of mental workload were identified based on the nurses' responses to the mental workload assessment, designated as "low MWL-high self-rated (n = 70, 13.3%)", "moderate MWL (n = 273, 51.9%)", and "high MWL-low self-rated (n = 183, 34.8%)". Based on the analysis of the three subtypes, nurses with working years < 5 years (χ 2  = 12.135, P < 0.05), no children (χ 2  = 16.182, P < 0.01), monthly income < 6000 (χ 2  = 55.231, P < 0.001), poor health status (χ 2  = 39.658, P < 0.001), no psychological training in the past year (χ2 = 56.329, P < 0.001) and suffering from workplace violence (χ 2  = 19.803, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with MWL. Moreover, the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that negative coping styles (OR = 1.146, 95% CI: 1.060-1.238, P = 0.001) were accompanied by higher MWL while negatively associated with perceived social support (OR = 0.927, 95% CI: 0.900-0.955, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our results showed that the MWL of nurses could be classified into three subtypes. Monthly income, health status, psychological training, workplace violence, negative coping style, and perceived social support were the factors influencing MWL. Managers can employ personalised intervention strategies according to the individual characteristics of different subgroups to reduce nurses' MWL.

Precision Workforce Management for Radiographers: Monitoring and Managing Competences with an Automatic Tool

Optimizing work shifts in healthcare is crucial for maintaining high standards of service delivery and fostering professional development. This study delves into the emerging field of skill-oriented work shift optimization, focusing specifically on radiographers within the healthcare sector. Through the development of Skills Retention Monitoring (SRH), this research aims to enhance skill monitoring, workload management, and organizational performance. In this study, several key highlights emerged: (a) Introduction of the SRH tool: The SRH tool represents a resource-efficient solution that harnesses existing software infrastructure. A preliminary version, focusing on the radiographers' professional profile, was released, and after several months of use, it demonstrated effectiveness in optimizing work based on competency monitoring. (b) The SRH tool has thus demonstrated the capacity to generate actionable insights in the organizational context of radiographers. By generating weekly reports, the SRH tool streamlines activity management and optimizes resource allocation within healthcare settings. (c) Application of a Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing (CAWI) tool for pre-release feedback during a training event. (d) Strategic importance of a maintenance and monitoring plan: This plan, rooted in a continuous quality improvement approach and key performance indicators, ensures the sustained effectiveness of the SRH tool. (e) Strategic importance of a transfer plan: Involving professional associations and employing targeted questionnaires, this plan ensures the customization of the tool from the perspective of each profession involved. This is a crucial point, as it will enable the release of tool versions tailored to various professions operating within the hospital sector. As a side result, the tool could allow for a more tailored and personalized medicine both by connecting the insights gathered through the SRH tool with the right competencies for healthcare professionals and with individual patient data. This integration could lead to better-informed decision making, optimizing treatment strategies based on both patient needs and the specific expertise of the healthcare provider. Future directions include deploying the SRH tool within the Pisa hospital network and exploring integration with AI algorithms for further optimization. Overall, this research contributes to advancing work shift optimization strategies and promoting excellence in healthcare service delivery.

Job Satisfaction and Associated Factors Among Primary Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Study From Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia

Background The healthcare sector is one of the most important sectors in any country. Any disruption in the productivity of the workforce majorly affects healthcare entities. Job satisfaction directly interferes with the individual's productivity. Hence, the job satisfaction of healthcare workers (HCWs) is a fundamental issue to discuss, investigate, and study to improve the outputs to their maximal levels, especially if limited studies are done in this regard. Methodology A descriptive, cross-sectional, facility-based study was conducted among 302 HCWs in 30 primary healthcare centers (PHCCs) in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, using a pretested, validated, electronically self-administered "Satisfaction of Employees in Health Care" (SEHC) questionnaire. Our sample included physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dental workers, and lab and radiology technicians. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 29 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results The mean score of the overall perception of job satisfaction in primary healthcare staff was 3.9 (±1.01) out of one to five scale questions. This implies a high satisfaction in 71.2% (n = 215) of the sample. Nurses expressed the highest satisfaction with their roles, comprising 26.5% (n = 80) who reported high satisfaction. Second in line were physicians, demonstrating high satisfaction levels with 14.2% (n = 43). The third place was for lab technicians, 4.6% (n = 14) of whom expressed high satisfaction. Many factors were found to be significantly statistically associated with job satisfaction, including gender (p = 0.015), age (p = 0.001), job rank (p = 0.027), number of patients seen per day (p = 0.002), type of primary healthcare duty (p = 0.042), and health workers' years of experience (p = 0.000). Conclusion The study revealed that HCWs at primary healthcare facilities in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, were highly satisfied with their jobs. Significant statistical relationships were found between job satisfaction and factors such as years of experience, type of duty in PHCCs, and number of attendees per day. To improve HCWs' job satisfaction, we recommend that they receive additional organizational support and response to feedback, a reduced workload achieved through increased staffing, and flexible work shifts. We also recommend investigating satisfaction in the private healthcare sector.

Effects of workplace incivility and workload on nurses' work attitude: The mediating effect of burnout

AIM

The study's aim was to examine how workplace incivility and workload influence nurses' work attitudes (turnover intention, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment) using the stress-strain-outcome framework.

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of comprehensive research on the combined effects of workplace incivility and workload on nurses' work attitudes.

INTRODUCTION

Two workplace stressors, incivility and workload, were hypothesized to lead to burnout, which in turn influences nurses' work attitudes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study was conducted. Survey data were collected from 1,255 direct care nurses with a minimum of 6 months' nursing experiences in 34 general hospitals across Korea. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model. This study is reported using the STROBE checklist.

RESULTS

As hypothesized, both workplace incivility and workload increased burnout. Heightened burnout correlated with increased turnover intention, lowered job satisfaction, and reduced organizational commitment. While workplace incivility impacted these outcomes both directly and indirectly via its effect on burnout, workload influenced the outcomes solely through burnout.

CONCLUSION

The study's findings are based on one, nonrandomized sample of nurses working at South Korean hospitals. Despite such study limitations, the study findings support the adverse impact of two workplace stressors on burnout and nurses' work attitudes.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

Evidence-informed interventions for both workplace stressors include training programs, clear policy guidelines, open communication channels, and supportive work environments.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

Zero tolerance and equity, diversity and inclusivity policies to promote workplace civility must be enforced. Workload needs to be patient-centered, ensuring a "fit" between patient needs and nurse staffing.

Stress, interpersonal and inter-role conflicts, and psychological health conditions among nurses: vicious and virtuous circles within and beyond the wards

BACKGROUND

The increasing costs of nurses' occupational-stress, conflicts, and violence within healthcare services have raised international interest. Yet, research/interventions should consider that perceived stress and conflicts- but also potential resources- within the wards can crossover the healthcare settings, impacting nurses' private lives and viceversa, potentially creating vicious circles exacerbating stress, conflicts/violence or, conversely, virtuous circles of psychological/relational wellbeing. Based on the Demands-Resources-and-Individual-Effects (DRIVE) Nurses Model, and responding to the need to go in-depth into this complex dynamic, this study aims to explore potential vicious circles featured by the negative effects of the interplay (main/mediating effects) between perceived stressors in nursing linked to interpersonal conflicts (Conflicts-with-Physicians, Peers, Supervisors, Patients/their families), work-family inter-role conflicts (Work-Family/Family-Work-Conflicts), and work-related stress (Effort-Reward-Imbalance) on nurses' psychological/relational health (Anxiety, Depression, Somatization, Interpersonal-Sensitivity, Hostility). The potential moderating role of work-resources (Job-Control, Social-Support, Job-Satisfaction) in breaking vicious circles/promoting virtuous circles was also explored.

METHOD

The STROBE Checklist was used to report this cross-sectional multi-centre study. Overall, 265 nurses completed self-report questionnaires. Main/mediating/moderating hypotheses were tested by using Correlational-Analyses and Hayes-PROCESS-tool.

RESULTS

Data confirmed the hypothesized detrimental vicious circles (main/mediating effects), impairing nurses' psychological health conditions at individual level (Anxiety, Depression, Somatization), but also at relational level (Hostility and Interpersonal-Sensitivity). The moderating role of all work resources was fully supported.

CONCLUSION

Findings could be used to implement interventions/practices to effectively prevent the maintenance/exacerbation of vicious circles and promote psychological/relational wellbeing in healthcare settings and beyond.

Stress overload, influencing factors, and psychological experiences of nurse managers during early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic: a sequential explanatory mixed method study

Background

Healthcare systems had an exceptionally difficult time during the early COVID-19 pandemic. Nurse managers in particular made enormous contributions to ensuring the safety of patients and front-line nurses while being under excessive psychological stress. However, little is known about their experiences during this time.

Objective

The aim of this study was thus to assess the level of stress overload and psychological feelings of nurse managers during the early COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A mixed methods sequential explanatory design study with non-random convenience sampling was performed, following the STROBE and COREQ checklists. The study was conducted at the Affiliated Dongyang Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, with data collected from six provinces in southern China (Zhejiang, Hubei, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Hunan and Jiangxi) during March 2020 and June 2020. A total of 966 nurse managers completed the Stress Overload Scale and Work-Family Support Scale. In addition, a nested sample of nurse managers participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The data were then analyzed using qualitative content analysis, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression.

Results

The quantitative results showed that nurse managers experienced a moderate level of stress load. There was a significant negative correlation between work-family support and stress load (r = -0.551, p < 0.01). Concerns about protecting front-line nurses and work-family support were the main factors affecting the stress load, which accounted for 34.0% of the total variation. Qualitative analysis identified four main thematic analyses that explained stress load: (1) great responsibility and great stress, (2) unprecedented stress-induced stress response, (3) invisible stress: the unknown was even more frightening, and (4) stress relief from love and support. Taken together these findings indicate that concern about protecting front-line nurses and negative work-family support of nurse managers were the main factors causing stress overload.

Conclusion

Implementing measures focused on individual psychological adjustment combined with community and family support and belongingness is one potential strategy to reduce psychological stress among nurse managers.

Job Satisfaction of Health Practitioners Providing Outreach Health Services during COVID-19 in Rural New South Wales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Australia

Background: Outreach health practitioners play a key role in enhancing access to healthcare for remote, rural, regional, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia. Outreach health practitioners are those providing ongoing and integrated health services in communities that would otherwise have limited access. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to understand the job satisfaction of health workers as it correlates with long-term retention of the workforce, as well as effectiveness in the role and clinical outcomes for patients. Method: The study analysed data from 258 outreach health practitioners who responded to two cross-sectional surveys conducted by the NSW Rural Doctors Network during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020/21 and 2021/22 in NSW and the ACT, Australia. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed to assess the associations between the outcome variable (outreach health practitioners' job satisfaction) and independent variables (sociodemographic factors, motivation, self-confidence, communication, capability). Results: Overall, the study showed that 92.2% of health practitioners were satisfied in their role providing outreach health services during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the multivariable model, factors significantly associated with higher satisfaction included good communication with other local health practitioners, using telehealth along with in-person care, and having high self-rated capability compared to those health practitioners who said they had lower job satisfaction. Conclusions: Outreach health practitioners' job satisfaction is important because poor satisfaction may lead to suboptimal healthcare delivery, poor clinical outcomes, and poor retention of staff in rural settings. These findings should be taken into consideration when developing future strategies to improve job satisfaction among rural outreach health practitioners and to enhance attraction, recruitment and retention and may be applicable to the broader health workforce.

Assessing the general health, increase in mental and physical workload among administrative staff of the University of Nigeria due to the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the global workloads and general well-being of employees, especially in the university system. The object of this study is to evaluate the mental health and effect of increase in workload on the general well-being of the administrative staff of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, on the resumption of academic activities after the lockdown due to COVID-19. A total of 73 randomly selected administrative staff were involved in the study. Three sets of instruments, the demographic questionnaire, National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index, and General Health Questionnaire, were used to obtain information on the demographic characteristics, workload, and level of mental disorder among the respondents due to COVID-19. The generalized linear regression model, 1-way analysis of variance, independent samples t test, and contingency coefficient were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that high workload is significantly associated with high risk of mental and general health disorders among the respondents. The married, divorced, widowed, older, and females staff with >2 children are the most vulnerable to mental disorder, physical workload, frustration, and general health challenges. The younger staff, those with at most 2 children, and those who are still single experience lower mental and general health disorder and are more resilient. Significant and comprehensive health and administrative support should be provided for the overall well-being of the staff.

Domains of Physical and Mental Workload in Health Work and Unpaid Domestic Work by Gender Division: A Study with Primary Health Care Workers in Brazil

Various studies indicate that workload metrics can be used to assess inequities in the division of labor according to gender and in the mental health of health care professionals. In most studies, the workload is portrayed in a way that does not integrate the different fields of work, that is, work in health services and unpaid domestic work. The objective was to determine the effects of the workload domains of health work and unpaid domestic work according to the gender division of health professionals working in primary health care (PHC), and to analyze the workload as an inducer of anxiety disorders and episodes of depression. This cross-sectional study consisted of 342 health care professionals recruited for interview at primary health care units in the extreme south of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Sociodemographic and occupational variables, workload in PHC and unpaid domestic work, and dichotomies of anxiety disorders and episodes of depression were considered. Poisson and multivariate linear regression models were used for data analysis. Cohen's standardized effect size was used to assess the magnitude of the difference between women and men in terms of workload. The female professionals presented higher scores in terms of PHC work and unpaid domestic work and higher proportions of episodes of depression and anxiety disorders compared to males. The male professionals showed that anxiety disorders presented a medium standardized effect size on domestic workload and the level of frustration with family involvement was higher in those with episodes of depression. The results illustrate that the workload metric is an important indicator of female vulnerability to working conditions in PHC and in the family environment.

Resilience, Occupational Stress, Job Satisfaction, and Intention to Leave the Organization among Nurses and Midwives during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current study on the intention to leave the organization among nurses and midwives aligns with the broader direction of research on the consequences of demanding jobs. This is particularly important in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2020 and is ongoing. The aim of the current study was to identify the levels of intention to leave the organization and job satisfaction in a sample of 390 Polish nurses and midwives. A multiple stepwise linear regression was carried out to establish which variables are predictors of job satisfaction and intention to leave the organization. The following measures were used in the study: Nurses’ Occupational Stressor Scale, The Brief Resilience Coping Scale, The Turnover Intention Scale, The Job Satisfaction Scale, and an occupational questionnaire (number of workplaces, weekly number of evening and night shifts, working at a unit dedicated to treating COVID-19, working as a supervisor/executive). The current study showed that almost 25% of the sample reported high turnover intention, and a similar proportion reported low job satisfaction. Resilience was related to nurses’ job satisfaction. In the predictive models for job satisfaction, the organizational factor of the number of workplaces was significant (positively related), while job experience was a negative predictor of intention to leave. The practical implications of the results and the need to continue research on this topic are also discussed.

Job Satisfaction and Burnout in Croatian Physiotherapists

BACKGROUND

Physiotherapists are important healthcare professionals in modern and multidisciplinary health forces. However, they are exposed to a high risk of occupational burnout, which is associated with reduced job satisfaction. Job satisfaction is essential for medical professionals because it directly influences patient safety and the quality of medical care. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the association between sociodemographic variables of Croatian physiotherapists, job satisfaction, and occupational burnout.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed among 404 physiotherapists using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Job Descriptive Index (JDI), and Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI).

RESULTS

The study group of Croatian physiotherapists was marked by a high level of job satisfaction and occupational burnout. However, a higher level of occupational burnout is associated with lower job satisfaction. The main determinants of job satisfaction were younger age, female gender, less work experience, and married or partnership. At the same time, a higher level of occupational burnout was associated with working in government institutions and being single.

CONCLUSIONS

As a reaction to psychological stress at work with the main components of exhaustion and disengagement, occupational burnout is negatively associated with job satisfaction. Therefore, assessing the factors influencing job satisfaction and burnout in the workplace can help develop physiotherapists' mental health prevention strategies.

Intensive Care Unit Nurses in Iran: Occupational Cognitive Failures and Job Content

Background

Nurses in intensive care units (ICU) are under a lot of stress because of special conditions caused by the work environment and the high level of knowledge and skills required to work in these units, which can lead to cognitive failures. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between occupational cognitive failures (OCF) and job content (JC) in nurses in the ICU of Ardabil hospitals in 2020.

Methods

The present study was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2020. The study population included nurses working in the ICU of hospitals in Ardabil, from which 267 people who were eligible to enter the study were selected. OCF and JC questionnaires were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using SPSS software 23.

Results

OCF with work records in the ICU, total work records, and work records in the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 units are significantly associated. OCF was inversely related to the JC subscales of skill discretion and decision authority. And directly related to other subscales of JC.

Conclusions

Develop job ability, reduce repetitive tasks, create diversity in work, create opportunities for creativity, have the authority and freedom to make decisions, facilitate work with new technologies, have enough time to do work, have a friendly work environment with colleagues, support by the supervisor, improving posture, especially for the upper body, feeling job security can help to reduce the cognitive failure of nurses.

Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care workers: a cross-sectional study

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the mental health of healthcare workers, yet studies in primary care workers are scarce.

Aim

To investigate the prevalence of and associated factors for psychological distress in primary care workers during the first COVID-19 outbreak.

Design and setting

This was a multicentre, cross-sectional, web-based survey conducted in primary healthcare workers in Spain, between May and September 2020.

Method

Healthcare workers were invited to complete a survey to evaluate sociodemographic and work-related characteristics, COVID-19 infection status, exposure to patients with COVID-19, and resilience (using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale), in addition to being screened for common mental disorders (depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks, and substance use disorder). Positive screening for any of these disorders was analysed globally using the term ‘any current mental disorder’.

Results

A total of 2928 primary care professionals participated in the survey. Of them, 43.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 41.9 to 45.4) tested positive for a current mental disorder. Female sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.61, 95% CI = 1.25 to 2.06), having previous mental disorders (OR 2.58, 95% CI = 2.15 to 3.10), greater occupational exposure to patients with COVID-19 (OR 2.63, 95% CI = 1.98 to 3.51), having children or dependents (OR 1.35, 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.76 and OR 1.59, 95% CI = 1.20 to 2.11, respectively), or having an administrative job (OR 2.24, 95% CI = 1.66 to 3.03) were associated with a higher risk of any current mental disorder. Personal resilience was shown to be a protective factor.

Conclusion

Almost half of primary care workers showed significant psychological distress. Strategies to support the mental health of primary care workers are necessary, including designing psychological support and resilience-building interventions based on risk factors identified.