Psychosocial work environment and cross‐cultural competence among native and foreign‐born registered nurses

Abstract

Cross‐cultural competence is an essential component of the nursing profession, but little is known about the specific psychosocial work characteristics that potentially promote or hinder such competence. In the present study, psychosocial work characteristics were based on Karasek's Job Demand—Control Model. The researchers examined whether Karasek's psychosocial work characteristics, such as high‐strain jobs, high‐strain isolated jobs, active jobs, and active collective jobs, are associated with cross‐cultural competence (empathy, skills, positive attitudes, and motivation), and whether there are differences between native and foreign‐born registered nurses (RN) in these potential associations. A random sample of 744 native RNs (91.0% women) and a total sample (n = 212) of foreign‐born RNs (94.3% women) working in Finland were used. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed with a series of multiple linear regression analyses. High‐strain and high‐strain isolated jobs were negatively associated with all four dimensions of cross‐cultural competence. Active collective jobs, but not active jobs, were positively associated with cross‐cultural skills. There were no differences between native and migrant nurses in these associations. The psychosocial work environment is associated with cross‐cultural competence in both native and migrant nurses. Improvements in psychosocial working conditions, especially minimizing negative factors in the work environment, such as high‐strain and high‐strain isolated jobs, may need to be considered as a part of the efforts aimed to enhance cross‐cultural competence among nursing personnel.

Analyzing the Job Demands-Control-Support Model in Work-Life Balance: A Study among Nurses in the European Context

“…The main objective of the present study was to test the efficacy of the JDCS model for predicting WLB among nursing professionals. Nursing presents its own particularities and is critical for maintaining the welfare state in Europe; however, nursing care takes place in one of the most stressful work environments that exists [96]. As noted by Karatepe and Uludag (2007), the health care sector is unique due to its high level of stress and its intense physical, psychological, and emotional demands [99].…”

“…This method is one of the most frequently applied statistical approaches for developing social prediction models with binary results [91,92]. Logistic regression has been used with the Karasek model for example [93][94][95] and specifically in the field of nursing (for example, [96][97][98]). This method allows the determination of the probability that a certain event-good balance between personal and professional life-will occur compared with the probability that the opposite event will occur.…”

Level of social competencies of nurses in primary health care and their selected work‐related determinants—A cross‐sectional study

“…The assumption of active learning hypothesis is to work with high job demands and high job control and at the same time to stimulate learning of new skills and to allow the search for new coping strategies. The improvement of employee performance and personal development is facilitated by active work (Wesołowska et al, 2019).…”

“…Many studies have indicated the importance of social competencies in medical professions (including nursing) and patient care, evidence of which is found in many areas, such as communication (Amoah et al, 2019; Hashim, 2017; Sanson‐Fisher et al, 2019), interpersonal contacts (Matczak & Martowska, 2013; Smarżewska, 2019), teamwork (Blažun et al, 2015; Lown & Manning, 2010), professional work aspects (Losa‐Iglesias et al, 2017; Niitsuma et al, 2012), area of emotion (Lee & Seomun, 2016; Matczak, 2007), stress and burnout (Losa‐Iglesias et al, 2017; Pereira‐Lima & Loureiro, 2015; Uchiyama et al, 2011), quality of care (Amoah et al, 2019; Haley et al, 2017; Lown & Manning, 2010), and patient‐centred care (Haley et al, 2017; Hashim, 2017; Lown & Manning, 2010; Wesołowska et al, 2019) (Figure 1).…”

“…In the analysed studies, nurses who have a lower sense of anxiety and a greater sense of autonomy at work show greater interpersonal and caring skills (Taylan et al, 2021). Unfavourable psychosocial work conditions, stress, and time pressure make it difficult to shape social skills (Ahrweiler et al, 2014; Wesołowska et al, 2019). On the other hand, the possibility of education and professional development, adequate remuneration, control and safety at work, and support from management and co‐workers increases job satisfaction and reduces the risk of burnout, contributing to shaping appropriate conditions for social training (Chang & Cho, 2021).…”