Beyond Work: The Role of "Family-Friendly" Practices in the Subjective Well-Being of Teleworkers and On-Site Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telework emerged as a pivotal strategy to mitigate the spread of the virus. However, telework's feasibility was contingent on job roles. This gave rise to two distinct groups: teleworkers and on-site workers. However, the impacts of social support and well-being extended to both groups. This study investigated the link between organisational and supervisory family support and subjective well-being, examining work engagement as a mediator. Conducted in Portugal, this cross-sectional study surveyed 515 individuals via web-based questionnaires. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple-group analysis. The findings revealed a positive correlation between perceived organisational family support (POFS) and work engagement for both groups. Additionally, perceived supervisory family support (PSFS) positively correlated with work engagement for telecommuters but not on-site workers. Furthermore, work engagement was positively associated with subjective well-being for both groups. Moreover, work engagement mediated the relationship between POFS and subjective well-being. This study enriches the literature by analysing POFS, PSFS, work engagement, and subjective well-being dynamics among teleworkers and on-site employees.

The relationships between nurses' resilience, burnout, perceived organisational support and social support during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A quantitative cross-sectional survey

AIMS

To examine the level of resilience and burnout among British nurses during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and the influence of personal, social and organisational factors on nurses' resilience and burnout.

BACKGROUND

Nurses experienced excessive workload and emotional demands over a prolonged period during the COVID-19 pandemic which may have led to exhaustion. Little research has examined the correlation between the pandemic variables, nurses' resilience and burnout during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

This study utilised a descriptive, cross-sectional research design.

METHODS

A cross-sectional and self-report survey involved 111 staff nurses, who completed a self-administrated questionnaire between January and April 2021. A STORBE checklist was used to report the study results.

FINDINGS

The study found that nurses experienced a high level of burnout and low to moderate levels of resilience. The study revealed significant negative relationships between the level of burnout and perceived organisational support and nurses' resilience. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses' social roles and their worries about patient safety were positively correlated with burnout. The perceived organisational support, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nurses' social roles and the level of resilience were significant factors for burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses experienced a high level of burnout during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be influenced by how they felt their organisations supported them. Nurses' feelings that the pandemic affected their social roles were associated with increasing their burnout.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Strategies should be developed to address staff burnout and resilience. Nurse managers and educators should play leadership roles in creating professional training to include competencies and psychological preparedness for disasters and to implement strategies to increase the organisational commitments to staff safety and well-being.

Application of an Adapted Behaviour Change Wheel to Assistance Dog Puppy Raising: A Proposed Raiser-Centred Support Program

Puppy raising (PR) programs recruit volunteer community members (raisers) to raise assistance dog (AD) candidates from puppyhood until the dogs are ready for advanced training. Once qualified, ADs assist human handlers with a disability to live more independently. Unfortunately, about 50% of all puppies do not meet the behavioural standards required for further training after completing a PR program. This increases costs and lengthens the time taken for a handler to obtain an AD. Research has identified several factors that influence raisers' experiences. It has also shown that raisers' socialisation and training practices affect perceived puppy behaviour. Drawing on the argument that puppy raiser practices are central to improving overall puppy raising program outcomes, this paper interprets recent findings within the framework provided by the behaviour change wheel-an established behaviour change framework-to suggest a coordinated approach to supporting puppy raisers. The recommendations will allow future research to employ more objective measures and more rigorous experimental designs as the field attempts to corroborate existing findings and develop evidence-based models of practice.

Workplace violence and turnover intentions among nurses: The moderating roles of invulnerability and organisational Support - A cross-sectional study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate whether internal and external violence are associated with turnover intentions among nurses during demanding periods of work.

BACKGROUND

Workplace violence can negatively impact upon mental and physical health and turnover intentions. Research focusing on how dimensions of workplace violence, internal versus external, influence turnover intentions and the factors that mitigate these effect is lacking.

METHODS

An online cross-sectional survey of multi-item measures was used to collect data from 462 Iranian nurses. We employed path modelling and analysed the data using SPSS and PROCESS macro. A STROBE checklist was used to report findings.

RESULTS

Both dimensions, internal and external, of violence were positively associated with turnover intentions. Moreover, perceived invulnerability and organisational support moderates this association. When individuals perceived invulnerability and perceived organisational support are high, internal violence is no longer indirectly related to turnover intentions via job satisfaction. In a similar vein, when perceived invulnerability and perceived organisational support are low, external violence is not related to intentions to quit. When perceived invulnerability and perceived organisational support are high, however, external violence is indirectly and negatively related to intentions to quit.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurses who regard themselves as invulnerable might be motivated to quit when they experience workplace violence. However, they are motivated to stay on the job when they both perceive themselves as invulnerable and the organisation as supporting.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Organisations should reconsider their policies and approach towards workplace violence especially during periods of intensive work.

Support model for nurses caring for people living with HIV and AIDS in the Limpopo province, South Africa

BACKGROUND

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) caregiving has created a foundation for stress and burnout amongst nurses as they are burdened by the increased workload of HIV and AIDS care.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to develop a support model for nurses caring for people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWH).

METHOD

The study employed concept analysis and the identified concept of interest within the caring context of HIV and AIDS was conceptualised using six elements of practice-oriented theory, namely, the context, agent, recipient, dynamic, procedure and purpose.

RESULTS

The framework consisted of six components: health service and legislative (context); nursing service managers (agents); nurses (recipients); decreasing power imbalance, participative and transformational leadership and trust (dynamics); initiation of support process through teamwork and mutual goal-setting, implementation and sustenance through reflections, monitoring and evaluation (process) and empowered nurses (outcome).

CONCLUSION

Poor organisational support deteriorates the quality of nurses' lives on a personal level and imposes a direct economic cost on the employer by decreasing overall nursing workforce productivity. The conceptual framework could be a guide to support nurses in healthcare services regarding the management of HIV and AIDS in the workplace.

Israeli Health Care Social Workers' Personal and Professional Concerns during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: The Work-Family Role Conflict

This exploratory study focuses on the personal and professional concerns of Israeli social workers in hospitals and community health settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Other studies omitted health care social workers' needs and concerns. Participants included 126 social workers (120 females, 5 males and 1 other gender identity) in hospitals and community health settings who completed an online survey during the height of the first wave of COVID-19 in Israel. Measures included questions on exposure to COVID-19, sense of safety at work, perceived support, and personal and professional concerns. Two open-ended questions about the social workers' concerns and the perceived concerns of their patients were included. The results showed that 17 per cent reported one of their inter-disciplinary team testing positive for COVID-19. Only one-third of the social workers felt safe from COVID-19 infection in their workplace. Mothers of dependent children were more concerned about income loss and about balancing work and family requirements than mothers of older children. 'Home-work conflict' was also a main theme in the qualitative data. In conclusion, the work-home role conflict took an especially heavy toll during the COVID-19 pandemic on social workers who were mothers to dependent children.

Organisational support and turnover intentions: A moderated mediation approach

Aim

The current study aims to examine the moderating role of psychological ownership in the process that translates organisational support into nurses’ turnover intentions through job satisfaction.

Design

A cross‐sectional research design was used to test the hypotheses.

Method

Using a purposive sampling 341 self‐completed survey data were collected from nurses working in two public hospitals in Iran. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data.

Result

The research revealed that organisational support and job satisfaction were negatively related to a healthcare professionals’ turnover intention. Moreover, job satisfaction mediated the negative relationship between organisational support and turnover intention. The research also revealed that psychological ownership strengthened the positive relationship between organisational support and job satisfaction.

Facilitators and Barriers to Assistance Dog Puppy Raisers' Engagement in Recommended Raising Practices

Simple Summary

Raisers volunteer to raise and manage an assistance dog puppy for about a year and typically receive instructions for a wide range of puppy raising tasks from a host organisation. Those tasks vary among organisations, although the literature suggests that raisers should provide frequent socialisation and consistent training to their puppy, and engage in effective learning to improve their own practices. As those tasks are heavily embedded in the raisers’ daily lives, it is not easy to determine if any factors could affect their puppy raising. In this study, we interviewed eight puppy raisers monthly during their participation in an 11-month puppy raising program based at a university campus. Raisers thought that their puppies received more socialisation when they had more availability or someone else to share this responsibility with them, or when the puppies behaved well. Raisers could train their puppy more consistently when they had been prepared to deal with different scenarios occurring during their daily activities. While raisers found that some learning methods suited them better, they generally appreciated opportunities to learn, seek help from, and practise with other raisers. We hope these findings will inform development and evaluation of future programs aimed at improving practices and experiences of raisers.

Abstract

Many assistance dog providers use volunteer raisers to manage each puppy’s learning and daily experiences, which partly determines the puppy’s behavioural development. Therefore, it is important that raisers engage in recommended practices. Three common recommendations from the literature include frequent socialisation and consistent training for the puppies, and effective training for the raisers. However, what facilitates or hinders raisers’ engagement in these practices remains unclear. To understand this, we interviewed eight raisers (three men and five women) every month during their year-long puppy raising program, and pseudo-randomly selected 16 from 48 interviews for data analysis. Thematic analyses revealed several facilitating and/or hindering factors corresponding to each of the three recommended practices. Frequent socialisation was influenced by the raisers’ availability, sharing of puppy raising responsibility with others, support from their workplace, and the puppy’s behaviours (e.g., soiling indoors, jumping). Consistent training was challenged by the presence of everyday distractors, accessibility to timely advice, perceived judgement from others, and the puppy’s undesirable behaviours. Effective learning was facilitated by having information available in raisers’ preferred learning modality, opportunities for peer-learning, and willingness to seek help. Future research should examine these factors quantitatively, which will enable more robust evaluation of programs aimed at supporting puppy raisers.

COVID-19 anxiety among front-line nurses: Predictive role of organisational support, personal resilience and social support

Aim

This study examines the relative influence of personal resilience, social support and organisational support in reducing COVID‐19 anxiety in front‐line nurses.

Background

Anxiety related to the COVID‐19 pandemic is prevalent in the nursing workforce, potentially affecting nurses’ well‐being and work performance. Identifying factors that could help maintain mental health and reduce coronavirus‐related anxiety among front‐line nurses is imperative. Currently, no studies have been conducted examining the influence of personal resilience, social support and organisational support in reducing COVID‐19 anxiety among nurses.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study involved 325 registered nurses from the Philippines using four standardized scales.

Results

Of the 325 nurses in the study, 123 (37.8%) were found to have dysfunctional levels of anxiety. Using multiple linear regression analyses, social support (β = −0.142, p = .011), personal resilience (β = −0.151, p = .008) and organisational support (β = −0.127, p = .023) predicted COVID‐19 anxiety. Nurse characteristics were not associated with COVID‐19 anxiety.

Conclusions

Resilient nurses and those who perceived higher organisational and social support were more likely to report lower anxiety related to COVID‐19.

Implication for Nursing Management

COVID‐19 anxiety may be addressed through organisational interventions, including increasing social support, assuring adequate organisational support, providing psychological and mental support services and providing resilience‐promoting and stress management interventions.

Workplace-based health research training: a qualitative study of perceived needs in a rural setting

Background

The calls for increased numbers of researchers in rural health are growing. To meet this demand, training is needed. If training is to be effective, the value placed on research, the organisational need for research training and key targets for research skill development within a rural health organisation must be understood.

Methods

This qualitative study was underpinned by a critical realist perspective that allowed exploration of the organisational, cultural and structural contexts of research training and of the ability of individuals to act within these contexts. Individual interviews with purposively selected key informants from the organisation’s board, executive and facility management (n = 7) and two focus groups with a convenience sample of frontline health workers with interests in research (total n = 11) were held. Data were analysed using NVivo software and thematic analysis.

Results

The themes emerging from this study were the fragmentation of research activity, a need for systems that support research and collaboration for expertise.

Conclusions

This study has identified an overreliance on individual activity leading to a fragmented approach to research. There is a need for supportive structures, coordination and workplace leadership to overcome a longstanding culture that views research as out of the rural scope of practice. Identifying research training targets, partnering for educational expertise and planning for long-term sustainability are necessary steps toward increasing research activity in the longer term.

From organisational justice to turnover intention among community nurses: A mediating model

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To identify the situation of organisational justice, organisational support, work engagement and turnover intention among community nurses and clarify the relationship among them.

BACKGROUND

Nurse shortage has become a worldwide issue, and the shortage of community nurses is more serious. Nurse turnover is one important factor for this situation. While previous studies about turnover intention mostly focused on hospital nurses, few involved community nurses.

DESIGN

A descriptive, cross-sectional design was adopted.

METHODS

Questionnaire investigation was implemented among 410 community nurses to collect data about organisational justice, organisational support, work engagement and turnover intention. Structural equation modelling was applied to test the hypothesised model. The STROBE statement for observational studies was followed.

RESULTS

Results showed the average score of turnover intention was 2.50 ± 0.75. The final model indicated: (a) work engagement had a direct negative effect on turnover intention; (b) organisational support had both direct and indirect effects on turnover intention, and the indirect effect was mediated by work engagement; and (c) organisational justice had an indirect effect on turnover intention mediated by organisational support.

CONCLUSION

Turnover intention could be reduced directly or indirectly by improving work engagement, organisational support and organisational justice.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This study provides evidence for community health centre managers and policymakers to improve the level of nurses' engagement and to retain more nurses in primary healthcare service.

The fundamental managerial challenges in the role of a contemporary district nurse: A discussion

This article examines some of the fundamental challenges facing the district nurse in delivery of the managerial aspects of her role in contemporary practice. It discusses the personal attributes that are essential for this role to ensure safe, effective and compassionate leadership and management. The communication skills and ethos underpinning collaborative multidiscilplinary team work and person-centred care are discussed. Issues that compromise positive and productive team working are identified, and strategies dealing with conflict and also change management are debated. These factors are interrelated with the everyday demands of caseload management, the development of educational needs to meet the demands of increased complexity in care needs, and the place of technology in modern health care. It is evidenced that sustained organisational support for this role is more important than ever, due to increasing demand and decreasing capacity. Potential solutions to these challenges are offered to assist the contemporary district nurse.

Organisational support, organisational identification and organisational citizenship behaviour among male nurses

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between organisational support, organisational identification, and organisational citizenship behaviour and the predictors of organisational citizenship behaviour in Taiwanese male nurses.

BACKGROUND

The turnover rate among male nurses is twice that of female nurses. Organisational citizenship behaviour is the predictor of turnover intention. Little information is available on the relationship between organisational support, organisational identification and organisational citizenship behaviour, particularly for male nurses.

METHODS

Data were collected in 2010 from a questionnaire mailed to 167 male nurses in Taiwan. A cross-sectional survey with simple sampling was used in this study.

RESULTS

The results showed that organisational identification and organisational support were correlated with organisational citizenship behaviour. Organisational distinctiveness, organisational support of work conditions and the type of organisation were the main predictors of organisational citizenship behaviour. Together they accounted for 40.7% of the total variation in organisational citizenship behaviour. Organisational distinctiveness was the most critical predictor, accounting for 29.6% of the variation.

CONCLUSION

Organisational support and organisational identification have positive relationships with organisational behaviour. Organisational distinctiveness is an important factor in explaining organisational citizenship behaviour in male nurses.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

This finding provides concrete directions for managers to follow when providing organisational identification, in particular, the organisational distinctiveness will help male nurses to display increasingly more organisational citizenship behaviour.