Health and intention to leave the profession of nursing - which individual, social and organisational resources buffer the impact of quantitative demands? A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The aim of this study was to analyse the buffering effect of individual, social and organisational resources on health and intention to leave the profession in the context of burden due to quantitative job demands. Methods In 2017, a cross-sectional survey was carried out anonymously among nurses in palliative care in Germany. One thousand three hundred sixteen nurses responded to the questionnaire (response rate 38.7%), which contained, amongst others, questions from the German version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ). Moderator analyses were conducted to investigate the buffering effect of different resources on health (‘self-rated health’ and ‘burnout’) and ‘intention to leave’ in the context of quantitative demands. Results ‘Self-rated health’ was significantly buffered by the resources ‘recognition through salary’ (p = 0.001) and ‘good working team’ (p = 0.004). Additionally, buffering effects of the resources ‘workplace commitment’ and ‘good working team’ on ‘burnout’ (p = 0.001 and p = 0.006, respectively) as well as of the resources ‘degree of freedom’, ‘meeting relatives after death of patients’, ‘recognition from supervisor’ and ‘possibilities for development’ on ‘intention to leave’ (p = 0.014, p = 0.012, p = 0.007 and p = 0.036, respectively) were observed. Conclusions The results of our study can be used to develop and implement job (re) design interventions with the goal of reducing the risk of burnout and enhancing job satisfaction among nurses in palliative care. This includes for example adequate payment, communication training and team activities or team events to strengthen the team as well as the implementation of some rituals (such as meeting relatives after the death of patients). As our study was exploratory, the results should be confirmed in further studies.

Burnout in Palliative Care Nurses, Prevalence and Risk Factors: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

“…Commitment was also identified with a negative correlation in another study [ 33 ]. The same correlation between commitment and burnout was found in another study that also informed that workload had a positive correlation with burnout [ 31 ]. Workload was also identified by other authors as a burnout related factor, who said that working more than 8 h a day a risk factor [ 42 ].…”

“…In respect to occupational variables, having workplace commitment, work freedom, possibilities for development at work, influence, and meaning of work were negatively correlated with burnout in palliative care nurses [ 31 ]. Commitment was also identified with a negative correlation in another study [ 33 ].…”

“…Regarding psychological variables, being less extroverted and sociable was correlated with lower levels of EE, while lower levels of neuroticism were correlated with higher EE [ 35 ]. Other authors said that the feeling of having good health was negatively correlated with burnout in palliative care nurses [ 31 ]. Another study informed that EE was negatively correlated with having a meaning of life and positive affect [ 30 ], while psychological distress and negative affect were positively correlated with EE [ 30 ].…”

Belastungen, Ressourcen und der berufliche Verbleib von Mitarbeitenden in der spezialisierten ambulanten Palliativversorgung (SAPV) in Bayern

“…B. durch Weiterbildungen, Supervisionen, kollegiale Fallbesprechungen und eine offene und gute Atmosphäre im Team stärken. Interessant ist bezüglich des Themas Ressourcen auch die Studie von Diehl et al [24], dieallerdings mit einer deutlich anderen Stichprobe und anderen Fragebogeninhaltenfolgende moderierende Effekte auf die Intention im Arbeitsbereich zu bleiben, identifiziert: eigene Gestaltung der Arbeitszeit, Anerkennung durch die Vorgesetzten, die Möglichkeit Angehörige nach dem Tod der Patient*innen zu treffen sowie die Möglichkeiten persönlicher Entwicklung.…”

“…Dies bedeutet jedoch auch eine geringere Vergleichbarkeit mit Ergebnissen aus anderen Befragungen in stationären palliativen Settings wie z. B. der Studie von Diehl et al [24]. Die Befragung hatte auf Team-und Mitarbeitendenebene eine gute Rücklaufquote, es haben Teams aus allen bayerischen Regierungsbezirken teilgenommen, sowohl aus städtischen als auch ländlichen Gegenden.…”