Identifying Novel Inhibitors of Workplace Support and the Importance of Value Congruence and Feeling Valued in General Surgery Residency Training

OBJECTIVE

To explore residents' perceptions of workplace support inhibitors and their relationship to resident wellbeing. We aim to provide evidence-based targets to inform future work operationalizing support in surgical training.

DESIGN

This is a 2-part mixed-methods cross-sectional study. Part 1 analyzed qualitative data from focus groups (April 2021-May 2022). Part 2 comprised an online survey (informed by findings in Part 1, May 2022) to assess the association between perceived workplace support (e.g. feeling valued and value congruence) and poor individual global wellbeing (e.g. languishing).

SETTING

National multi-center study including 16 ACGME-accredited academic programs.

PARTICIPANTS

General surgery residents at all training levels, both clinical and research years.

RESULTS

28 residents participated in the focus groups which revealed three major themes around perceived inhibitors of workplace support: lack of trust in residency program (e.g. ulterior motives), poor communication from leadership (e.g. lack of transparency, ineffective dialogue), and unfair systems in residency training (e.g. exploitation of residents, paternal leave policies). These themes emphasized the importance of feeling valued and value congruence, with the latter reflected in the form of trust and communication with leadership, a key element of worker-workplace alignment. 251 residents responded to the survey (response rate 31%, 50.6% women) which revealed that a lower sense of feeling valued and lower perceived value congruence were significantly associated with languishing.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest feeling valued and value congruence (specifically, having trust and communication with leadership) are important targets for increasing workplace support in surgical training, offering evidence-based targets for future work to operationalize support in surgical training.

Investigating Workplace Support and the Importance of Psychological Safety in General Surgery Residency Training

OBJECTIVE

Workplace interventions that increase support can mitigate burnout, improve workplace satisfaction, and increase well-being. Our aim is to provide evidence-based targets to inform future work for operationalizing support in general surgery residency.

DESIGN

This is a 2-part mixed-methods cross-sectional study. Part 1 analyzed qualitative data from focus groups (April 2021-May 2022). Part 2 comprised an online survey (informed by findings in Part 1) in May 2022 to assess the association between perceived psychological safety (PS) and flourishing, as well as PS and languishing.

SETTING

National multi-center study including 16 ACGME-accredited academic programs.

PARTICIPANTS

General surgery residents at various training levels, in both clinical and research.

RESULTS

A total of 28 residents participated in the focus groups which revealed both enhancers and inhibitors of support pertaining to PS in the workplace. Enhancers of support included those currently implemented (i.e., allyship of mentors) and those proposed by residents (i.e., nonpunitive analysis of mistakes). Inhibitors of support included both systems (i.e., wellness initiatives as a 'band-aid' for systems issues) and culture (i.e., indefatigability, stoicism). About 251 residents (31%) responded to the survey which revealed higher perception of PS was significantly associated with flourishing at the level of residency program and departmental leadership. Lower perception of PS was significantly associated with languishing at the level of residency program leadership only.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the promotion of PS, such as expansion of mentorship to include advocacy (advocating on a resident's behalf, recognition when mistreated) and affirmation (i.e., soliciting opinions on controversial social matters/events, recognizing different life experiences), cultural acceptance of asking for help (without being perceived as weak), formal help navigating interpersonal dynamics (i.e., guidance from senior residents), and leadership presentations and modeling to destigmatize asking for help, as a means of operationalizing workplace support to increase flourishing and decrease languishing.

Meaningful inclusion of people living with HIV as a model for workplace policies: Key findings from the project PEER study

BACKGROUND

As a large number of people live with HIV, it is worthwhile to examine the integration of this group in the workplace.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate how the operationalization of GIPA/MEPA supports workplace policies and practices for PLHIV. The study aims to explore what is being offered to support PLHIV in community-based agencies and what can be done to enhance the offerings.

METHODS

For this community-based research, 2 bilingual online surveys were sent to 150 Canadian organizations that work closely with PLHIV or offer support to them. One of the surveys was for Executive Directors of these organizations while the other was sent to peers; i.e. PLHIV whose job is to offer services to PLHIV. Questions in the surveys varied between open-ended, binary, and Likert.

RESULTS

GIPA/MEPA are implemented in most organizations and Executive Directors affirmed that PLHIV and their impacts on the workplace are valued. There is a consensus among Executive Directors that formal support is provided but most respondents argued that this support is not specific for PLHIV. More than half of respondents were either unaware or uncertain about the existence of informal support. Peer-employees claimed that one of the challenges of disclosing HIV to receive peer support is that they may face stigma.

CONCLUSION

The application of GIPA/MEPA results in positive outcomes in the workplace. The study emphasizes the need to facilitate access to informal support.

Demographic covariates and vocational rehabilitation services as predictors of employment outcomes of people with physical disabilities: a hierarchical logistic regression analysis

PURPOSE

Stable employment is essential for the health, psychosocial, and financial well-being of people with physical disabilities (PwPD). Unfortunately, the low employment rate for PwPD in the U.S. exposes them to adverse effects of unemployment, including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and physical pain. Helping PwPD find gainful employment will improve their general health and well-being. However, few empirical studies examine factors affecting the employment outcomes of PwPD. This study aims to examine the relationship between demographic covariates, vocational rehabilitation (VR) services, and employment outcomes of PwPD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This secondary data analysis study includes 17,598 PwPD from the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration's Case Service Report (RSA-911) dataset. Our analysical approach was hierarchical logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

For VR services, workplace support, technology support, job placement assistance, and VR counseling significantly contribute to predicting employment outcomes for PwPD. Even after entering VR services, the demographic variables (age, race, education, referral sources, low-income, long-term unemployment, and disability significancy) were still significant predictors of employment.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this study can be used by state VR counselors and other disability service providers to plan and select effective employment-related interventions to improve the employment outcomes of PwPD.

How does workplace support promote postdoctoral career growth? A conservation of resources perspective

Background

Postdoctoral researchers are critical to scholarly advancements, and promoting postdoctoral career growth is an endogenous path to help postdocs break through the "encircled city of scientific research". However, further research is needed to fully explore the mechanisms that connect workplace support to postdoctoral career growth.

Methods

Drawing from the Conservation of Resources theory, this study proposes a chain mediation model that demonstrates how workplace support enhances career growth by connecting psychological capital with work-life balance. To understand the motivation and career growth of postdocs in China, we conducted two questionnaires in 2021 and 2023 with the support of relevant stations.

Results

Analyzing 367 questionnaires from Chinese postdocs, our research indicates that workplace support has a positive impact on career growth. Additionally, both psychological capital and work-life balance are key factors that contribute to career growth, serving as separate mediators and as part of a chain of mediators.

Discussion

This study validates the appropriateness of the Conservation of Resources theory in the study of the influence mechanism of postdoctoral career growth and proposes targeted strategies for academic institutions to improve support systems, promoting more effective career development pathways.

The mediating roles of workplace support and ethical work environment in associations between leadership and moral distress: a longitudinal study of Canadian health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in heightened moral distress among health care workers (HCWs) worldwide. Past research has shown that effective leadership may mitigate potential for the development of moral distress. However, no research to date has considered the mechanisms by which leadership might have an influence on moral distress. We sought to evaluate longitudinally whether Canadian HCWs' perceptions of workplace support and ethical work environment would mediate associations between leadership and moral distress.

Methods

A total of 239 French- and English-speaking Canadian HCWs employed during the COVID-19 pandemic were recruited to participate in a longitudinal online survey. Participants completed measures of organizational and supervisory leadership at baseline and follow-up assessments of workplace support, perceptions of an ethical work environment, and moral distress.

Results

Associations between both organizational and supervisory leadership and moral distress were fully mediated by workplace supports and perceptions of an ethical work environment.

Discussion

To ensure HCW well-being and quality of care, it is important to ensure that HCWs are provided with adequate workplace supports, including manageable work hours, social support, and recognition for efforts, as well as an ethical workplace environment.

Social Workers' Experiences of Support in the Workplace during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This qualitative study included in-depth semistructured interviews with 17 social workers from across the state of Texas that took place during the summer of 2021. The purpose of this study was to describe social workers' experiences of workplace support during the COVID-19 pandemic and provide implications for how to improve support in the workplace. The interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological approach to describe the main themes of the participants' experiences. The findings combined with current literature suggest that following the pandemic and in the case of similar prolonged disasters organizational leaders should consider supporting their social work staff by clearly communicating protocol changes, providing more autonomy and flexible work arrangements, increasing time off and financial support, and providing tangible assistance such as technological support. Leaders should also consider their social work staff's emotional well-being following the pandemic by providing therapeutic resources and bonding opportunities for staff to promote a more resilient team-like culture in the workplace.

Exploring the perceptions of how living with osteoarthritis affects employed people's work productivity

BACKGROUND

Working people with osteoarthritis (OA) can experience difficulties at work due to pain and activity limitation.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the impact of biopsychosocial factors on work participation in employed people with OA.

METHODS

An explorative, qualitative, semi-structured one-to-one telephone interview study. Employed people living with OA were recruited through an arthritis volunteer database and social media. Data was analysed using Thematic Analysis.

FINDINGS

Participants (n = 15) included people with OA in any joints from mixture of careers. Themes were: (1) Effects of OA on work participation, (2) Impact of workplace support and accommodations on employment, and (3) Importance of clinical support and management.

CONCLUSION

Impact of OA on people's work productivity results in a spill over into their home lives. Work transitions and adaptations are not always available. Employers need to be educated to support employees to create a positive work environment and promote available workplace support.

Workplace Breastfeeding Support and Breastfeeding Practices among Healthcare Professionals

Introduction

Working mothers face striking challenges in breastfeeding. It is important to focus on them to further improve breastfeeding rates.

Aim and Objectives

To assess the workplace breastfeeding support and breastfeeding practices of healthcare professionals.

Methodology

We conducted a cross-sectional study among two hospitals in East Delhi. All mothers having at least one child aged six months to five years and currently employed as healthcare personnel were included. For a sample size of 100, population proportionate to size sampling was done among two hospitals. The participants were randomly selected from a list of healthcare personnel. Employee perception of breastfeeding support questionnaire (EPBS-Q) was used to assess the workplace breastfeeding support. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions, logistic regression, and survival analysis to find the association between workplace breastfeeding support and IYCF parameters.

Results

The proportion of mother who perceived poor workplace breastfeeding support was 37%. The mean (SD) score obtained was 103.48 (8.93). The early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour was practiced by 54%, exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months by 60%, and timely initiation of complementary feeding for six to eight months by 64% mothers. Workplace breastfeeding support was significantly associated with exclusively breastfeeding for at least six months.

Conclusions

More than one-third of mothers perceived poor workplace breastfeeding, and it was associated with exclusive breastfeeding.

Informing and Sustaining Participation of Lived Experience in the Suicide Prevention Workforce

BACKGROUND

Currently, there is no comprehensive study focused on identifying what is needed to support ongoing participation within the suicide prevention lived experience workforce (LEW). It is unclear what specific factors may impede or support ongoing participation in the LEW. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of suicide prevention LEW in terms of its sustainability.

METHOD

A qualitative interview method was utilised, with a purposive sample of participants who had engaged in the LEW for at least 12 months. The sample comprised 13 individuals (nine females, four males) who engaged in multiple LEW roles, with over half (54%) working in the LEW for more than 5 years. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Five main themes were identified: support, passion, personal impact, training, and work diversity. Each theme offers perspectives about the challenges participants face within the suicide prevention LEW.

CONCLUSION

Challenges faced are both similar to those found in the broader MH sector and unique to suicide prevention. Findings suggest that managing expectations of the LEW is important and can inform the creation of guidelines for a supported and sustainable suicide prevention LEW.

Breastfeeding Practices of Women Returning to Full-Time Employment in China: Prevalence and Determinants

BACKGROUND

Returning to work after childbirth is a common reason for women to stop breastfeeding. This study aimed to assess breastfeeding practices and breastfeeding support available to employed women in China, and factors affecting breastfeeding duration.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 1,243 breastfeeding women employed full-time was conducted. Participants completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Workplace Breastfeeding Support Scale (WBSS). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the factors that are associated with breastfeeding.

RESULTS

The mean exclusive breastfeeding duration and any breastfeeding duration of full-time employed women were 5.7 ± 0.5 months and 9.8 ± 1.5 months, respectively. The total WBSS score was 46.6 ± 5.3 (M ± SD). Generally, women perceived coworkers (M [SD] = 4.8 [1.0]) and supervisors (M [SD] = 5.7 [1.2]) to be supportive of breastfeeding. Lower scores on the WBSS were related to lack of technical and facility support, indicating no access to a refrigerator to store breast milk (M [SD] = 2.0 [1.5]) or to a breast pump (M [SD] = 1.7 [1.7]). Similarly, a private area for expressing breast milk (M [SD] = 1.4 [1.0]) was unavailable. Maternity leave, residential province, ethnicity, education level, average monthly household income, main reason for stopping exclusive breastfeeding, commute time greater than 1 hour, and the total WBSS score were also factors influencing breastfeeding duration of the full-time employed women.

CONCLUSIONS

There were gaps in breastfeeding practices and workplace breastfeeding support of Chinese full-time employed women when compared with the World Health Organization recommendations. Occupational health providers should consider these findings when developing programs to support breastfeeding in the workplace.

Examining psychosocial factors associated with receiving workplace accommodations among people with disabilities

BACKGROUND

People with disabilities experience challenges in obtaining workplace support including job accommodations.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the impacts of psychosocial factors affecting the likelihood of an employee with disability receiving an accommodation and subsequent effects on job satisfaction and job performance.

METHODS

This study recruited 596 participants from multiple national and state agencies serving persons with disabilities in U.S. A mediation model was conducted to examine the impacts of psychosocial factors (i.e., self-efficacy, positive affect, negative affect, workplace support, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) knowledge, accommodation knowledge, and work goal) on receiving accommodation, and the impacts of receiving accommodations on job satisfaction and job performance. The indirect effects of the psychosocial factors on job satisfaction and job performance via receiving accommodations were examined using the Delta method.

RESULTS

Among all the examined direct effects, only the effect from workplace support to receiving accommodations and the effect from receiving accommodations to job satisfaction were significant. Nevertheless, indirect effects were non-significant, indicating that all the psychosocial factors had no indirect effect (via receiving accommodation) on job satisfaction and job performance.

CONCLUSION

The findings reveal the significance of workplace support on employees' likelihood of receiving accommodations, and subsequent association between accommodation receipt and job satisfaction. Rehabilitation professionals need to provide adequate training to employers to facilitate inclusive and supportive workplace environments.

Inequality in workplace support for various types of precarious workers compared with permanent workers in Japan: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to examine, by sex, whether precarious workers in Japan receive less support in the workplace than permanent workers.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire in 2022. We stratified participants by sex and performed modified Poisson regression analysis. The outcomes were support from supervisors, co-workers, occupational health professionals, and no one. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) were calculated for contract workers, part-time workers, and dispatched workers, using permanent workers as reference.

RESULTS

This study had 21 047 participants. For men, 87.9% were permanent workers; for women, 50.7% were permanent workers and 37.3% were part-time workers. For workplace support, 47.5% of men and 45.2% of women selected superiors; 41.8% of men and 50.5% of women selected colleagues; 16.8% of men and 6.2% of women selected occupational health professionals. Female contract workers were less likely to receive support from their supervisors (aPR 0.88) or co-workers (aPR 0.89). Male part-time workers were less likely to be supported by their co-workers (aPR 0.86). Dispatched workers were less likely to be supported by their supervisors (men aPR 0.71, women aPR 0.84) and co-workers (men aPR 0.73, women aPR 0.77). Part-time and dispatched workers were less likely to receive support from occupational health professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

Precarious workers could get less workplace support than permanent workers. This may contribute to occupational health problems with precarious workers.

Workplace challenges, supports, and accommodations for people with inflammatory bowel disease: a scoping review

PURPOSE

To characterize the breadth of challenges that people with IBD experience in the workplace and identify supports and accommodations that can help sustain employment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE) and grey literature websites identified English-language studies published from inception through to June 2020. Studies where details were insufficient to extract the study purpose, sample, methods, and findings were deemed of poorer quality and excluded.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies met selection criteria. Studies discussed common workplace challenges, including career planning, work performance, managing physical and cognitive symptoms, social impacts at work, and challenges related to the physical work environment and commuting. The range of workplace supports identified by studies was classified into five categories: flexibility, changes to the physical work environment, social support, self-management strategies, and extended health benefits.

CONCLUSIONS

IBD research typically has been descriptive and focused on broad characterizations of workplace challenges and supports. Future work needs to examine causal pathways and assess the efficacy of workplace supports, as well as conduct subgroup analyses and develop resources to facilitate communication and accommodation planning between workers living with IBD and their employers.Implications for RehabilitationRehabilitation professionals can play an important role in supporting people working with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) by identifying accommodations and ways to make work environments more supportive.Providing rehabilitation support to people with IBD goes beyond symptom management and needs to consider the broader social, policy, and environmental challenges of employment.

Accommodating Bereaved Parents in the Workplace: A Scoping Review

Helpful workplace support strategies and accommodations (WSSA) for bereaved parents returning to work was assessed via comprehensive search of databases from 1990-1/21/22. 11 of 45 qualitative articles met inclusion. Bereaved parents often felt returning to work provided a coping strategy for and/or distraction from grief; however, some received insensitive comments by employer/coworkers. Helpful WSSA included flexibility on date to return to work and schedule. In conclusion, due to the intensity of their grief, bereaved parents benefit from a workplace offering individualized time off for bereavement & workplace accommodations to address potential difficulty meeting prior productivity demands.

COVID 19 pandemic: Impact of changes experienced on social workers' professional quality of life in Singapore

COVID-19 has impacted all spheres of life massively. Among the emerging studies on the psychosocial impact of the pandemic, few studies look specifically at how social workers are impacted. To understand this gap, this study surveyed 337 social workers. The findings showed that changes experienced in the workplace were enormous and caused secondary traumatic stress while engendering compassion satisfaction among social workers, but the presence of social support moderated to keep the secondary traumatic stress at bay. Resilience mediated association between social and workplace support and compassion fatigue. Social support seemed to have the largest effect on reducing stress through resilience. Workplace support also helped mitigate burnout. In conclusion, continued social and workplace support will be key to supporting social workers during a pandemic.

Responding to Repeated Disasters: Time to Recovery in Public Health Workers

OBJECTIVE

In times of repeated disaster events, including natural disasters and pandemics, public health workers must recover rapidly to respond to subsequent events. Understanding predictors of time to recovery and developing predictive models of time to recovery can aid planning and management.

METHODS

We examined 681 public health workers (21-72 y, M(standard deviation [SD]) = 48.25(10.15); 79% female) 1 mo before (T1) and 9 mo after (T2) the 2005 hurricane season. Demographics, trauma history, social support, time to recover from previous hurricane season, and predisaster work productivity were assessed at T1. T2 assessed previous disaster work, initial emotional response, and personal hurricane injury/damage. The primary outcome was time to recover from the most recent hurricane event.

RESULTS

Multivariate analyses found that less support (T1; odds ratio [OR] = .74[95% confidence interval [CI] = .60-.92]), longer previous recovery time (T1; OR = 5.22[95%CI = 3.01-9.08]), lower predisaster work productivity (T1; OR = 1.98[95%CI = 1.08-3.61]), disaster-related personal injury/damage (T2; OR = 3.08[95%CI = 1.70-5.58]), and initial emotional response (T2; OR = 1.71[95%CI = 1.34-2.19]) were associated with longer recovery time (T2).

CONCLUSIONS

Recovery time was adversely affected in disaster responders with a history of longer recovery time, personal injury/damage, lower work productivity following prior hurricanes, and initial emotional response, whereas responders with social support had shorter recovery time. Predictors of recovery time should be a focus for disaster preparedness planners.

A Qualitative Study of Intimate Partner Violence and Employment Instability

Maintaining employment while suffering from intimate partner violence (IPV) is extremely difficult given the direct and indirect ways abusers disrupt work. The current qualitative study seeks to strategically fill a gap in knowledge regarding survivors' employment instability and gain insight toward creating more supportive workplaces for survivors. Women (N = 19) receiving services for IPV at a Midwest U.S. agency were interviewed about their experiences of employment instability, workplace disruptions (including via technology), and their perceptions of policies and practices that employers use to support employees experiencing abuse. Specifically, the study asks four research questions to address gaps in literature: (a) What are the employment instability experiences of survivors related to IPV, including attendance, hours, and job loss? (b) What are survivors' experiences of workplace disruptions, including with technology? (c) What formal employer policies and practices related to IPV are survivors familiar with? and (d) What workplace supports do IPV survivors perceive to be helpful or harmful? Findings uniquely contribute to existing literature by revealing employment instability among mothers, highlighting the use of technology to disrupt survivors' work, and determining existing policies and procedures that workplaces use to address IPV. Implications for advocates working with survivors as well as employer and state policymakers are discussed.

Employment adjustment and mental health of employed family caregivers in Canada

Family caregivers make employment adjustment to fulfill caregiving responsibility. However, the studies on the family caregivers' mental health outcomes associated with their employment adjustment are limited. This study utilized the role theory and stress process model of caregiving to examine the relationship between employment adjustment and mental health outcomes among family caregivers, and to test family-to-work role conflict as a mediator and workplace support as a moderator in this relationship. Data (n = 1,696) were drawn from the 2012 Canada General Social Survey: Caregiving and Care Receiving. Findings suggest that employment adjustment is significantly associated with negative mental health outcomes including worse self-rated mental health and higher life stress level. In addition, family-to-work role conflict mediates between employment adjustment and mental health outcomes, with the mediating effect as significant at all levels of workplace support and as weak with increasing workplace support. The findings highlight the role of family-to-work role conflict in understanding the influence of employment adjustment on family caregiver's mental health, and the implication of workplace support on promoting caregiver-friendly workplace culture to alleviate family-to-work role conflict thereby resulting in better mental health outcomes.

Nurses' turnover intention a comparative study between Iran and Poland

BACKGROUND

Turnover rates among nurses are much higher than in other professions. This poses a challenge for health managers in all countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors affecting nurses' turnover and the differences in this area between Iran and Poland.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, the population consisted of nurses working in state-owned hospitals in Poland (N = 165) and in Iran (N = 200). Data were collected using the <i>Turnover Intention Scale</i>, the <i>Job Satisfaction Scale</i>, the <i>Work-Family Conflict Scale</i> and the <i>Workplace Support Scale</i>. Use was made of the AMOS 24 and SPSS 22 software for data analysis.

RESULTS

The results showed that the predicted factors of nurses' turnover intention in Poland and Iran were different. Workplace support and job satisfaction can reduce turnover intention among Polish nurses while the work-family conflict influences nurses' turnover intention in Iran.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing a flexible work plan in Iranian hospitals and enhancing teamwork and improving the spirit of cooperation in Polish hospitals could reduce nurses' turnover intention in these 2 countries. Med Pr. 2020;71(4):413-20.

Identifying Moderators in the Link Between Workplace Discrimination and Health/Well-Being

The stress that arises from workplace discrimination can have a large impact on an employee's work attitude, their work and life satisfaction, and oftentimes whether or not they stay in a job. Workplace discrimination can also have a considerable influence on employees' short- and long-term health. However, less is known about the factors that might mitigate or exacerbate the effects of discrimination on health. The current study focused not only on the links between workplace discrimination and health, and but also on the effects of potential moderators of the discrimination-health link (i.e., perceived control, Big Five personality traits, optimism, and coworker/supervisor support). People with high neuroticism, high extraversion and high agreeableness were more negatively affected by workplace discrimination than those low on neuroticism, extraversion, and agreeableness. Perceived control was found to be a protective factor, such that those high in perceived control had fewer chronic illnesses in the context of high levels of workplace discrimination.

Lean on Me: A Scoping Review of the Essence of Workplace Support Among Child Welfare Workers

Child welfare workers (CWWs) often work under conditions similar in nature to workers within safety critical organizations (SCOs). This is because most of their work surrounds child neglect, securing homes for foster children, haphazard, and intricate cases, among other things, and where making wrong decisions, inattention to details, and the likes could lead to adverse consequences especially for the kids within their care. Research has shown that employees who experience support at work often report less stress symptoms, burnout, and a host of other negative workplace experiences. Experience of support at work has also been found to boost employees' retention, job satisfaction, and productivity. Despite this development, research exploring the essence of workplace support among CWW is very scarce in the literature, and we know very little about the type of workplace support and their influence on a host of workplace outcomes, especially the negative ones like secondary traumatic stress, aggression, and violence toward CWWs. The purpose of the current scoping review was to uncover what is known about workplace support and their relationship with workplace outcomes among CWWs. The authors explored four databases and identified 55 primary studies investigating workplace support and workplace outcomes among CWWs in the review. Studies mostly framed support under three main support types of coworker/peer support, social/organizational/management support, and supervisor/leadership support. Findings showed that workplace support has a positive impact on workplace variables like job satisfaction, engagement, commitment, and reduces the risk of turnover, burnout, and other negative workplace variables. The review highlights possible directions for future research.

Factors Influencing Psychiatric Nurses' Job Satisfaction Levels: Focusing on Their Frequency of Experiencing Negative Emotions Toward Patients and Support at Their Workplaces

Background

We examined factors influencing psychiatric nurses' job satisfaction levels focusing on their frequency of experiencing negative emotions toward patients and support at their workplaces.

Methods

An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted involving 1,097 psychiatric nurses working at 13 psychiatric hospitals in the Chugoku area to investigate their basic attributes, work-related factors, and scores from 3 scales: the Negative Feeling toward Patient Frequency scale, an original support-in-workplace scale, and the new Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (job stress and satisfaction). Correlations between basic attributes/work-related factors and scores from each scale, and the relationships among the study items were analyzed. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis was performed using the job satisfaction level.

Results

The subjects were the 577 psychiatric nurses who returned valid responses without missing data (response rate: 60.4%, valid responses: 87.0%). The subjects were the 577 psychiatric nurses who returned valid responses without missing data (response rate: 60.4%, valid responses: 87.0%). To clarify the level of influence on the job satisfaction level of each variable, logistic regression analysis was performed adopting the stepwise method for all of the items that were correlated with the job satisfaction level as a dependent variable. Support (from supervisors) at the workplace (OR: 1.069), job stress (OR: 0.751), Negative Feeling toward Patient Frequency-Total scale scores (OR: 0.980) were found to influence the job satisfaction level.

Conclusion

Support from supervisors may be indispensable, and working environments that reduce job stress and negative emotions toward patients may be required to increase the job satisfaction levels of psychiatric nurses. This survey suggested that the establishment and maintenance of favorable working environments and interpersonal relationships increase job satisfaction levels while reducing stress, thereby improving job retention among psychiatric nurses.

The Role of Peer Support in Managing Occupational Stress: A Qualitative Study of the Sustaining Resilience at Work Intervention

Background: Peer support at work may support psychological resilience by enhancing coping skills and providing social support. The current study aimed to examine how a workplace peer support program, "Sustaining Resilience at Work" (StRaW), may support employee mental health from the perspective of the trained peer supporter. Method: Nine individuals from various public and private organizations who had completed StRaW peer supporter training participated in semi-structured interviews to explore their views on the StRaW program. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings: Three main themes emerged: the impact of workplace stressors on employee mental health, the impact of StRaW, and feedback on StRaW. The results suggested positive effects of StRaW training on practitioners' ability to support colleagues and maintain their own psychological well-being. Discussion/Application to Practice: Our results indicated that peer support programs in the workplace may improve employees' well-being and relationships between employees. As such, occupational health professionals should recommend that their organizations invest in these types of programs to improve organizational resilience. They should encourage employees they consider to be capable of supporting their colleagues to undergo this training as evidence suggests this is beneficial to the trained employees' own well-being, rather than making them feel burdened or under pressure. Occupational health professionals should also view such programs as useful ways of improving attitudes toward mental health within their organizations.

Impact of Key Workplace Breastfeeding Support Characteristics on Job Satisfaction, Breastfeeding Duration, and Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Health Care Employees

Background: Although national breastfeeding rates have improved across recent decades, women continue to face barriers to achieving recommended breastfeeding targets. Returning to work presents a unique set of challenges for breastfeeding continuation, even in health care settings tasked with promoting breastfeeding among patients. This study examined the association between key workplace breastfeeding support characteristics, job satisfaction, and breastfeeding outcomes among health care employees. Materials and Methods: We used data from a cross-sectional survey of employees in a large integrated health care system. The study sample included female employees who had breastfed in the past 3 years (n = 165). The Employee Perceptions of Breastfeeding Support Questionnaire (EPBS-Q) measured organization, manager, and coworker support for breastfeeding. Regression analyses tested the association between workplace support factors and breastfeeding duration, breastfeeding exclusivity, and job satisfaction. Results: Managerial support increased median job satisfaction by 0.39 standard deviations (p < 0.001), and increased the odds of prolonging exclusive breastfeeding (odds ratio [OR] 1.47; confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.09). Organizational support increased median job satisfaction by 0.27 standard deviations (p < 0.001), and increased the odds of exclusive breastfeeding by nearly twofold (OR 1.80; CI 1.05-3.09). No significant associations were found between workplace support factors (organizational, managerial, and co-worker support) and overall breastfeeding duration. Conclusions: Organizational and managerial support are key aspects of workplace lactation support, which may positively impact job satisfaction, rates of exclusive breastfeeding, and duration of exclusive breastfeeding among female health care employees. This intersection of outcomes salient for the business community and public health practitioners highlights opportunities for collaborations to improve workplace and breastfeeding outcomes.

"Lost in the sun"-The key role of perceived workplace support for sun-protective behavior in outdoor workers

BACKGROUND

Previous studies show that workplace support for sun-protective behaviors plays an important role in the actual sun-protective behavior of outdoor workers. Therefore, our aim was to examine perceived workplace support (organizational and social support) in relation to different sun-protective behaviors.

METHODS

A Germany-wide sample of outdoor workers (n = 485) was surveyed via telephone. We analyzed associations of workplace support with sun-protective behaviors, sociodemographic, and occupational characteristics, occupational sun exposure, and concerns about sun.

RESULTS

A large number of outdoor workers perceived no workplace support for sun protection (eg, 17.8% agreed that sun protection is enforced at their workplace). We found that those who do not get any support are less likely to show sun-protective behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

A starting point for a better organizational support is the implementation of mandatory sun protection policies in the workplace. Social support for protection against solar UV exposure can be promoted through safety training and education.

Workplace Breastfeeding Support Varies by Employment Type: The Service Workplace Disadvantage

BACKGROUND

The majority of women are returning to work full-time after childbirth, and support within their place of employment may influence intention and duration for breastfeeding, but more research is needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the influence of employment type on breastfeeding duration upon return to work by examining informal (i.e., verbal encouragement) and direct (i.e., lactation space, flexible time) factors of support.

METHODS

This was a retrospective survey of women's returning-to-work experiences while breastfeeding. Survey contents included respondent demographics as well as questions surrounding perceptions of employer support, work environment, and goal/satisfaction regarding breastfeeding. Data were analyzed via crosstabs and chi-square goodness of fit tests.

RESULTS

A total of 1,002 women completed the survey. Significant differences were seen across different employment types. Women within the professional/management industry were most likely to receive informal and direct support for breastfeeding upon return to work. Women within the service industry and production/transportation industry reported receiving the lowest levels of informal and direct support.

CONCLUSION

Workplace support varies by employment type and women in the service and production/transportation industry appear to be at a disadvantage compared with other employment types. There is a need for more breastfeeding support programs to be developed that target specific workplace characteristics.

Health professionals' personal behaviours hindering health promotion: A study of nurses who smoke

AIM

To explore the views of current and ex-smoker nurses on their role in supporting patients to stop smoking.

BACKGROUND

Long-term conditions are closely linked to harmful lifestyle behaviours, including smoking and overeating. Health professionals have an important role to play in promoting healthier lifestyles. It has been described that nurses' health behaviours may be a barrier to their health promotion practice. There is a need to gain further understanding on why nurses' health promotion activity is influenced by their own health behaviour.

DESIGN

A secondary analysis of qualitative data gathered in 2010 in the context of a project that aimed to develop a smoking cessation intervention for nurses.

METHODS

Eleven transcripts of semi-structured interviews conducted with nurses (current and ex-smokers) working in one university hospital in Spain. Data were analysed using framework analysis.

FINDINGS

Nurses who smoked engaged in social justification in terms of social norms and work stress. Only nurses who had quit smoking were able to identify the negative feelings it generated and the effect that it had on their past health promotion practice. This was expressed by ex-smokers as an internal conflict that prevented them from supporting patients with their own habit.

CONCLUSION

Nurses who smoke may be inhibited as health promoters without being aware of it. Interventions that focus on helping these professionals deal with the challenges associated with these encounters are necessary if health promotion practices are to be enhanced. Targeting this conflict might also work to improve their lifestyle, which would expand the potential impact to professionals' own health.