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Job Demands (job + demand)
Kinds of Job Demands Selected AbstractsPlanning behavior and perceived control of time at workJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 8 2004Brigitte J. C. Claessens This study investigated two mediation models of time management. The first model consisted of parts of Macan's (1994) model. The second model combined this model with Karasek's (1998) Job Demand,Control model. Two sets of self-report questionnaires were collected and were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The first model, in which perceived control of time was hypothesized to fully mediate the relation between planning behavior and work strain, job satisfaction, and job performance, was found to be less adequate than the second model, which added workload and job autonomy as independent variables. Results also indicated that partial, rather than full, mediation of perceived control of time fitted the data best. The study demonstrated the importance of studying both planning behavior and job characteristics, which was not part of past research. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Job strain and the risk for occupational injury in small- to medium-sized manufacturing enterprises: A prospective study of 1,209 Korean employeesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2009Hwan-Cheol Kim MD Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate whether job strain had an effect on the risk of occupational injury of workers at small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies. Methods We conducted a prospective follow-up survey and finally 1,209 workers in South Korea were included in this study. At time X1, we measured job stress with the Job Demand and Decision Latitude Questionnaire; and at time X2 (after 6 months), we evaluated occupational injuries through a single question. Occupational injuries were assessed using the question "Have you ever been injured at work, including minor scratches and cuts, in the previous four-month period" by self-reporting in the previous 4-month period. Results For men, the high job-demand group (OR,=,1.71, 95% CI,=,1.13,2.59) and high strain group (OR,=,1.79, 95% CI,=,1.02,3.14) showed the increased risk of occupational injury. For women, high job-demand (OR,=,2.11, 95% CI,=,1.18,3.78), low job control (OR,=,1.80, 95% CI,=,1.02,3.17), and high job strain (OR,=,3.57, 95% CI,=,1.62,7.86) were significantly associated with occupational injury. Conclusion Workers under high job strain showed higher risk for occupational injury. The efforts to minimize stress-related occupational injuries should be required. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:322,330, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Sources of well-being and commitment of staff in the Australian Disability Employment ServicesHEALTH & SOCIAL CARE IN THE COMMUNITY, Issue 2 2008Andrew Noblet PhD Abstract This study examined the role of working conditions in predicting the psychological health, job satisfaction and organisational commitment of personnel responsible for helping people with disabilities gain employment in the mainstream Australian labour market. The working conditions were assessed using two theories: the Job Strain Model (job demand, social support and job control) and Psychological Contract Theory (unwritten reciprocal obligations between employers and employees). In the case of the Job Strain Model, the generic dimensions had been augmented by industry-specific sources of stress. A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in June and July 2005 with 514 staff returning completed questionnaires (representing a response rate of 30%). Comparisons between respondents and non-respondents revealed that on the basis of age, gender and tenure, the sample was broadly representative of employees working in the Australian disability employment sector at that time. The results of regression analyses indicate that social support was predictive of all of the outcome measures. Job control and the honouring of psychological contracts were both predictive of job satisfaction and commitment, while the more situation-specific stressors , treatment and workload stressors , were inversely related to psychological health (i.e. as concern regarding the treatment and workload stressors increased, psychological health decreased). Collectively, these findings suggest that strategies aimed at combating the negative effects of large-scale organisational change could be enhanced by addressing several variables represented in the models , particularly social support, job control, psychological contracts and sector-specific stressors. [source] The incidence of anxiety and depression among employees,the role of psychosocial work characteristicsDEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, Issue 11 2009Helene Andrea Ph.D. Abstract Background: Anxiety and depression are prevalent among employees and are associated with functional disability and work impairment. To date, little is known about the incidence and possible risk factors for developing anxiety and depression in the working population. Study aims were to (a) determine the incidence of subclinical anxiety and depression in a general working population and (b) identify the psychosocial work characteristics associated with the onset of subclinical anxiety and depression. Methods: This prospective study is based on 3,707 employees participating in the Maastricht Cohort Study on Fatigue at Work. Psychosocial work characteristics were measured in May 2000; anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in April 2002. Results: The cumulative 23-month incidence for subclinical anxiety and depression was 4.6 and 3.3%, respectively. High psychological job demands increased the risk for both subsequent anxiety and depression. Moreover, low social support was predictive for the onset of anxiety, whereas job insecurity increased the risk for the onset of depression. These prospective associations were independent of potential confounding variables and the other psychosocial work characteristics. Conclusions: Adverse psychosocial work characteristics are significant predictors for the onset of subclinical anxiety and depression in the general working population. These findings encourage intervention studies testing whether modifying the psychosocial work environment reduces both anxiety and depressive symptoms among employees. Depression and Anxiety 26:1040,1048, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Quality of working life and turnover intention in information technology workHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 4 2008Christian Korunka High turnover has been a major issue in information technology (IT) organizations. A conceptual model to explain turnover was developed and tested in two national samples of IT and IT manufacturing work. The model postulates that quality of working life mediates the relations between job/organizational characteristics and turnover intention. The American sample consisted of 624 IT employees of five IT organizations. The Austrian sample consisted of 677 employees from an international IT production company (IT manufacturing work). A similar questionnaire was used in both studies. The model was tested with path analysis. A core model with main pathways between job demands and supervisory support to emotional exhaustion, and between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction to turnover intention was confirmed in the national samples and in subsamples of demographics and job types. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Using the job demands-resources model to predict burnout and performanceHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2004Arnold B. Bakker The job demands-resources (JD-R) model was used to examine the relationship between job characteristics, burnout, and (other-ratings of) performance (N = 146). We hypothesized that job demands (e.g., work pressure and emotional demands) would be the most important antecedents of the exhaustion component of burnout, which, in turn, would predict in-role performance (hypothesis 1). In contrast, job resources (e.g., autonomy and social support) were hypothesized to be the most important predictors of extra-role performance, through their relationship with the disengagement component of burnout (hypothesis 2). In addition, we predicted that job resources would buffer the relationship between job demands and exhaustion (hypothesis 3), and that exhaustion would be positively related to disengagement (hypothesis 4). The results of structural equation modeling analyses provided strong support for hypotheses 1, 2, and 4, but rejected hypothesis 3. These findings support the JD-R model's claim that job demands and job resources initiate two psychological processes, which eventually affect organizational outcomes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] What aspects of the job have most effect on nurses?HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003Abraham Sagie The study reported here compared the influences of psychological constructs (job demands and scheduling control) and objective work characteristics (shiftwork, night-work and hospital department type) on job satisfaction, organisational commitment, burnout and withdrawal intentions. Our hypothesis was that psychological constructs have a higher influence on work-related attitudes than objective characteristics of work schedules. In addition to the main effects, we proposed an interactive hypothesis: poor attitudes would result from high demands and low control rather than from other combinations of both psychological variables. Using a sample of 153 hospital nurses in Israel, the hypotheses were generally supported. As night-work, shiftwork and working in intensive care units are unavoidable characteristics of the modern medical environment, these findings are meaningful for improving the personal adjustment of hospital nurses. [source] Nurses' satisfaction with shiftwork and associations with work, home and health characteristics: a survey in the NetherlandsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 12 2009Velibor P.J.M. Peters Abstract Title.,Nurses' satisfaction with shiftwork and associations with work, home and health characteristics: a survey in the Netherlands. Aim., This paper is a report of a study conducted to determine if satisfaction with irregular working hours that are a form of shiftwork operates as a mediator between work and home characteristics and health problems. Background., Shiftwork contributes to health problems, decreased well-being and poorer health habits. It also affects employees' decisions to leave the healthcare sector. Although many nurses voluntarily work shifts, there have been few studies of their satisfaction with irregular working hours when these are a form of shiftwork. Methods., A survey was carried out with 144 nurses working in three nursing homes and one care home in the Netherlands. Questionnaires were distributed in 2003 to 233 nurses who worked shifts (response rate 60%). The questionnaire contained items on work and home characteristics, satisfaction with irregular working hours that are a form of shiftwork and health. A new scale to measure satisfaction with irregular working hours was constructed. Results., All work characteristics, but no home characteristics, were associated with satisfaction with irregular working hours. The work characteristics ,job demands' and the home characteristics ,autonomy at home' and ,home demands' were associated with health. Satisfaction with irregular working hours did not mediate between work/home characteristics and health. Those reporting more social support, lower job demands and more job autonomy were more satisfied with their irregular working times that were a form of shiftwork. Conclusions., Satisfaction with irregular working hours is a useful construct that requires further longitudinal study. The results also underline the importance of considering home characteristics when predicting health outcomes. [source] Managing job stress in nursing: what kind of resources do we need?JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 1 2008Marieke Van Den Tooren Abstract Title.,Managing job stress in nursing: what kind of resources do we need? Aim., This paper is a report of a study to investigate the functionality of different kinds of job resources for managing job stress in nursing. Background., There is increasing recognition that healthcare staff, and especially nurses, are at high risk for burnout and physical complaints. Several researchers have proposed that job resources moderate the relationship between job demands and job-related outcomes, particularly when there is a match between the type of demands, resources, and outcomes. Method., Based on the Demand-Induced Strain Compensation Model, cross-sectional survey data were collected between November 2006 and February 2007 by a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. The final sample consisted of 69 nurses from a Dutch nursing home (response rate 59·4%). Data were analyzed by hierarchical regression analyses. Results., High physical demands had adverse effects on both physical complaints and emotional exhaustion (i.e. burnout), unless employees had high physical resources. A similar pattern was found for high physical demands and emotional resources in predicting emotional exhaustion. The likelihood of finding theoretically-valid moderating effects was related to the degree of match between demands, resources, and outcomes. Conclusion., Job resources do not randomly moderate the relationship between job demands and job-related outcomes. Both physical and emotional resources seem to be important stress buffers for human service employees such as nurses, and their moderating effects underline the importance of specific job resources in healthcare work. Job redesign in nursing homes should therefore primarily focus on matching job resources to job demands in order to diminish poor health and ill-being. [source] Resident-oriented care in nursing homes: effects on nursesJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2004Afke J.M.B. Berkhout PhD Background., In a resident-oriented care model the assignment of patients to primary nurses takes place. These primary nurses are responsible for the total nursing care of their patients and make use of the nursing process. According to job demand-control models, these enlarged and enriched jobs can be described in terms of autonomy, job demands and social support, and the presence of these work characteristics has a positive influence on workers' psychological and behavioural outcomes. Aims., This paper reports a study to investigate the extent to which the various features of resident-oriented care were implemented and its effects nurses' on work characteristics and on psychological and behavioural outcomes in three Dutch nursing homes. Methods., In a quasi-experimental design, experimental and control groups were followed over 22 months, using a pretest and two post-tests with questionnaires, interviews and qualitative observations. Results., The quantitative data showed significant increases in resident assignment, the two variables measuring the nursing process and, in the psycho-geriatric experimental group, on resident-oriented tasks. The qualitative data showed that a partly task-oriented division of labour was still used and that the planned delegation of coordination tasks to primary nurses was not fully achieved. Effects on work perceptions were limited. After implementation of the new system, the experimental group showed an increase in job autonomy. Conclusions., The intervention appeared to be only partly successful. Most of the expected results regarding work characteristics and psychological and behavioural outcomes did not materialize. Theoretical and methodological reflections are presented in the light of these findings. [source] Staff who Work with People who have Intellectual Disabilities: The Importance of PersonalityJOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, Issue 4 2003John Rose Background, Previous research into stress in staff who work with people with intellectual disabilities has concentrated on the organizational determinants of stress and has tended to overlook the relative contribution of individual differences. A model was proposed to describe possible relationships between work-based stressors, staff support, personality, coping strategy and psychological outcome. Methods, A survey methodology was used with care staff in community-based homes for people with intellectual disability. Results, Analysis of the model explored how these variables might affect one another in their relationship to psychological outcomes. The most significant findings of this research was the direct effects found between personality (neuroticism), coping style (wishful thinking) and stress. A significant interaction was also observed between job demands and neuroticism. Conclusions, These research findings highlight the importance of personality factors in determining stress levels in staff and suggest several possible intervention strategies. One intervention point may be to teach self-management techniques to help some staff cope with periods of high demand, particularly those reporting high levels of neuroticism. [source] Continuity and Change in Marital Quality Between 1980 and 2000JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, Issue 1 2003Paul R. Amato We use data from two national surveys of married individuals,one from 1980 and the other from 2000,to understand how three dimensions of marital quality changed during this period. Marital happiness and divorce proneness changed little between 1980 and 2000, but marital interaction declined significantly. A decomposition analysis suggested that offsetting trends affected marital quality. Increases in marital heterogamy, premarital cohabitation, wives' extended hours of employment, and wives' job demands were associated with declines in multiple dimensions of marital quality. In contrast, increases in economic resources, decision-making equality, nontraditional attitudes toward gender, and support for the norm of lifelong marriage were associated with improvements in multiple dimensions of marital quality. Increases in husbands' share of housework appeared to depress marital quality among husbands but to improve marital quality among wives. [source] How changes in job demands and resources predict burnout, work engagement, and sickness absenteeismJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 7 2009Wilmar B. Schaufeli The present longitudinal survey among 201 telecom managers supports the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model that postulates a health impairment process and a motivational process. As hypothesized, results of structural equation modeling analyses revealed that: (1) increases in job demands (i.e., overload, emotional demands, and work-home interference) and decreases in job resources (i.e., social support, autonomy, opportunities to learn, and feedback) predict burnout, (2) increases in job resources predict work engagement, and (3) burnout (positively) and engagement (negatively) predict registered sickness duration ("involuntary" absence) and frequency ("involuntary" absence), respectively. Finally, consistent with predictions results suggest a positive gain spiral: initial work engagement predicts an increase in job resources, which, in its turn, further increases work engagement. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Occupational stress in (inter)action: the interplay between job demands and job resourcesJOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 5 2005Natasja van Vegchel The present study addresses theoretical issues involving different interaction effects between job demands and job resources, accompanied by a thorough empirical test of interaction terms in the demand,control (DC) model and the effort,reward imbalance (ERI) model in relation to employee health and well-being (i.e., exhaustion, psychosomatic health complaints, company-registered sickness absence). Neither the DC model nor the ERI model gives a clear theoretical rationale or preference for a particular interaction term. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted among 405 nursing home employees and cross-validated in a comparable sample (N,=,471). Results including cross-validation showed that only a multiplicative interaction term yielded consistent results for both the DC model and the ERI model. Theoretical as well as empirical results argue for a multiplicative interaction term to test the DC model and the ERI model. Future job stress research may benefit from the idea that there should be a theoretical preference for any interaction form, either in the DC model or in the ERI model. However, more research on interactions is needed to address this topic adequately. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Work stress and physical assault of nursing aides in rural nursing homes with and without dementia special care unitsJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 3 2005D. G. MORGAN phd rn Purpose:, This study compared nursing aides (NAs) employed in rural nursing homes with and without dementia special care units (SCUs) on (1) exposure to and distress from disruptive behaviours exhibited by residents, (2) job strain and (3) physical assault. Design and methods:, The data were drawn from a larger study conducted in Saskatchewan, Canada, in which all rural nursing homes of ,,100 beds that had an SCU were matched to same-sized rural facilities with no SCU. Nursing aides (n = 355) completed a mailed survey questionnaire. Results:, Nursing aides employed in nursing homes with an SCU reported significantly less frequent exposure to disruptive behaviours (including aggressive and aversive behaviours) than NAs in non-SCU facilities, less distress when these behaviours were directed toward them, less exposure to aggressive behaviour during caregiving, lower job demands and lower job strain. There was a trend toward increased risk of being assaulted in the last year associated with being in a non-SCU facility. Having a permanent position, increased job strain, and feeling inadequately prepared for dementia care were significantly associated with higher risk of being assaulted. In the SCU facilities, NAs who worked more time on the SCU reported more assaults but less distress from disruptive behaviour, lower psychological job demands, lower job strain and greater work autonomy. Implications:, Providing more dementia care training and reducing job demands and job strain may help to reduce work-related stress and physical assault of nursing aides employed in nursing homes. [source] Job control, substantive complexity, and risk for low birth weight and preterm delivery: An analysis from a state birth registryAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2007John D. Meyer MD Abstract Background Indices of job strain have demonstrated a variable relationship to low birth weight (LBW) and prematurity, with conflicting study results. This study sought to examine the associations of psychosocial work environment characteristics with adverse pregnancy outcomes using and comparing the demand-control model and job attributes derived from the O*NET. Methods Job characteristics were imputed to maternal occupation recorded in the 2000 Connecticut state birth registry for 26,408 singleton births, using scores for psychological job demands, control, and physical demands derived from the Job Content Questionnaire, and for substantive complexity of work and physical demands using variables derived from O*NET job attributes. Odds ratios for LBW and preterm delivery were estimated while controlling for relevant covariates. Results High psychological demands were not associated with pregnancy outcomes, while high physical demand scores from the O*NET were associated with LBW. Associations of term- and all-LBW with both low control and low substantive complexity were attenuated by adjustment for educational and demographic covariates. A gradient with lower scores was seen for term LBW and substantive complexity, and for prematurity and control. Both constructs were correlated with maternal education. Conclusions These results suggest that low maternal job control and substantive complexity may be modestly associated with LBW and, to a lesser extent, prematurity. A greater association with control may explain why a weak link of birth outcomes to high-strain work has been noted in past studies. Observed associations with occupational are reduced after adjustment for relevant confounding variables, in particular educational level and race/ethnicity. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:664,675, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The prevalence of and risk factors for back pain among home care nursing personnel in Hong Kong,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2006Kin Cheung RN Abstract Background There is a large gap in research with regard to back pain (BP) among home care nursing personnel (HCNP); only seven studies have been conducted worldwide. There is a need to identify the magnitude of and risk factors for BP that are unique to Hong Kong (HK) HCNP. Methods A total population sampling technique was employed in this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study. Hierarchical multiple logistic regression analyses were used to control for potentially confounding variables. Results The 12-month prevalence of upper and lower BP was 71.2% (n,=,265). Three predictors were identified: physical risk factors in the office (OR,=,3.57, 95% CI,=,1.55,8.24), static postures (OR,=,1.41, 95% CI,=,1.04,1.90), and psychological job demands (OR,=,1.11, 95% CI,=,1.01,1.22). Conclusion HCNP in HK have a high prevalence of BP. BP in HK HCNP is independently attributable to physical work factors in the office, static postures, and psychological job demands, and is not primarily associated with patient lifting and transferring which are traditionally identified as risk factors for BP in hospital nursing personnel. Am. J. Ind. Med. 49:14,22, 2006. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Are psychosocial factors, risk factors for symptoms and signs of the shoulder, elbow, or hand/wrist?: A review of the epidemiological literatureAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 5 2002Paulien M. Bongers PhD Abstract Background In 1993, an extensive review on the role of psychosocial factors in the development of musculoskeletal problems was published by Bongers et al (1993). Since then, additional reviews on this topic have been published; however, none of these focussed on upper limb problems. Methods In this systematic review, the methodological quality of all studies was assessed and levels of evidence were apriori defined. Results The large majority of the studies reported an association between at least one work-related psychosocial factor and adverse upper extremity symptoms or signs. High-perceived job stress was consistently associated with all upper extremity problems (UEP) in high and lower quality studies. Although not often studied, non-work-related stress was also consistently associated with UEP. In addition, there was some evidence for a relationship between high job demands and UEP, although the results did not meet the pre-set criterion for consistency. Conclusions High job stress and non-work-related stress reactions are consistently associated with UEP. In addition, high job demands is also in most studies associated with these disorders. Firm conclusions on the role of these factors in the etiology of UEP are not possible due to the cross-sectional nature of most studies. Am. J. Ind. Med. 41:315,342, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Workaholism in the Netherlands: Measurement and Implications for Job Strain and Work,Nonwork ConflictAPPLIED PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 1 2005Toon W. Taris Cette recherche traite de la mesure et des conséquences du travail comme conduite addictive aux Pays-Bas. La première étude décrit le développement et la validation d'une version hollandaise de la Work Addiction Risk Scale (WART) de Robinson (1999). Une analyse factorielle portant sur les réponses de 356 sujets a montré que la structure factorielle de la WART hollandaise était analogue à celle de la version américaine. La deuxième étude (N= 232) avait pour objectif de décider si la sous-échelle ,tendances compulsives, (CT) de la WART pouvait être utilisée comme mesure abrégrée du travail addictif. Le recouvrement entre l'échelle complète de 25 items et la sous-échelle CT était large et la répartition des corrélations avec les autres concepts très proche. La troisième étude (N= 199) mit à l'épreuve un modèle des effets du travail addictif (CT) sur l'épusiement et le conflit travail,hors-travail, montrant que le travail addictif affectait ces deux variables dépendantes à la fois directement et indirectement (par l'intermédiaire des exigences perçues du travail). On conclut 1) que la version hollandaise de la WART est très proche de la version américaine d'origin; 2) que la WART et la sous-échelle CT sont toutes deux des mesures valides du travail addictif; 3) que le travail addictif est un concept virtuellement majeur pour l'étude du travail et du stress. This research deals with the measurement and consequences of workaholism in the Netherlands. Study 1 describes the development and validation of a Dutch version of Robinson's (1999) Work Addiction Risk Scale (WART). Confirmatory factor analysis (total N= 356) revealed that the factorial structure of the Dutch WART was similar to that of the US original. Study 2 (N= 232) examined whether the Compulsive Tendencies (CT) subscale of the WART could be used as a short measure of workaholism. The overlap between the full 25-item WART and the CT subscale was high, whereas the patterns of correlations with other concepts were very similar. Study 3 (N= 199) tested a process model for the effects of workaholism (i.e., CT) on exhaustion and work,nonwork conflict, showing that workaholism affected these two outcome variables both directly and indirectly (via perceived job demands). It is concluded that: (i) the Dutch version of the WART is very similar to the US original; (ii) the WART and the CT subscale are both valid measures of workaholism; and (iii) workaholism is a potentially important concept in the study of work and stress. [source] What stresses remote area nurses?AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2009Current knowledge, future action Abstract Objective:,Review and synthesise the literature identifying the stresses experienced by remote area nurses (RANs). Identify interventions implemented to address identified stresses. Explore the use of the job demands,resources (JD-R) model. Methods:,A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the meta-databases Ovid and Informit. Setting:,Remote Australian primary health care centres. Results:,The reported demands experienced by RANs can be grouped into four themes: (i) the remote context; (ii) workload and extended scope of practice; (iii) poor management; and (iv) violence in the workplace and community. In this high-demand, low-resource context, the JD-R model of occupational stress is particularly pertinent to examining occupational stress among RANs. The demands on RANs, such as the isolated geographical context, are immutable. However, there are key areas where resources can be enhanced to better meet the high level of need. These are: (i) adequate and appropriate education, training and orientation; (ii) appropriate funding of remote health services; and (iii) improved management practices and systems. Conclusion:,There is a lack of empirical evidence relating to stresses experienced by RANs. The literature identifies some of the stresses experienced by RANs as unique to the remote context, while some are related to high demands coupled with a deficit of appropriate resources. Use of models, such as the JD-R model of occupational stress, might assist in identifying key areas where resources can be enhanced to better meet the high level of need and reduce RANs' levels of stress. [source] A Review of the Effect of the Psychosocial Working Environment on Physiological Changes in Blood and UrineBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Åse M. Hansen Literature databases (PubMed, Toxline, Biosis and Embase) were screened using the key words job, work-related and stress in combination with selected physiological parameters. In total, 51 work place studies investigated the associations between the psychosocial working environment and physiological changes, of which 20 were longitudinal studies and 12 population-based studies. The studied exposures in work place/population-based studies included: job demands (26/8 studies), job control (24/10 studies), social support and/or leadership behaviour (12/3 studies), effort,reward imbalance (three/one studies), occupational changes (four studies), shift work (eight studies), traumatic events (one study) and other (five studies). The physiological responses were catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline) (14 studies), cortisol (28 studies), cholesterol (23 studies), glycated haemoglobinA1c (six studies), testosterone (nine studies), oestrogens (three studies), dehydroepiandrosterone (six studies), prolactin (14 studies), melatonin (one study), thyroxin (one study), immunoglobulin (Ig) A (five studies), IgG (four studies), IgM (one study) and fibrinogen (eight studies). In general, fibrinogen and catabolic indicators, defined as energy releasing, were increased, whereas the anabolic indicators defined as constructive building up energy resources were decreased when the psychosocial working environment was perceived as poor. In conclusion, in this review the association between an adverse psychosocial working environment and HbA1c, testosterone and fibrinogen in serum was found to be a robust and potential candidate for a physiological effect of the psychosocial working environment. Further, urinary catecholamines appear to reflect the effects of shift work and monotonous work. [source] Nurses' satisfaction with shiftwork and associations with work, home and health characteristics: a survey in the NetherlandsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 12 2009Velibor P.J.M. Peters Abstract Title.,Nurses' satisfaction with shiftwork and associations with work, home and health characteristics: a survey in the Netherlands. Aim., This paper is a report of a study conducted to determine if satisfaction with irregular working hours that are a form of shiftwork operates as a mediator between work and home characteristics and health problems. Background., Shiftwork contributes to health problems, decreased well-being and poorer health habits. It also affects employees' decisions to leave the healthcare sector. Although many nurses voluntarily work shifts, there have been few studies of their satisfaction with irregular working hours when these are a form of shiftwork. Methods., A survey was carried out with 144 nurses working in three nursing homes and one care home in the Netherlands. Questionnaires were distributed in 2003 to 233 nurses who worked shifts (response rate 60%). The questionnaire contained items on work and home characteristics, satisfaction with irregular working hours that are a form of shiftwork and health. A new scale to measure satisfaction with irregular working hours was constructed. Results., All work characteristics, but no home characteristics, were associated with satisfaction with irregular working hours. The work characteristics ,job demands' and the home characteristics ,autonomy at home' and ,home demands' were associated with health. Satisfaction with irregular working hours did not mediate between work/home characteristics and health. Those reporting more social support, lower job demands and more job autonomy were more satisfied with their irregular working times that were a form of shiftwork. Conclusions., Satisfaction with irregular working hours is a useful construct that requires further longitudinal study. The results also underline the importance of considering home characteristics when predicting health outcomes. [source] Downsizing and reorganization: demands, challenges and ambiguity for registered nursesJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 2 2004Anna Hertting MD Background., The 1990s were characterized by substantial financial cuts, and related staff redundancies and reorganizations in the Swedish health care sector. A large hospital in Sweden was selected for the study, in which downsizing had occurred between 1995 and 1997. The number of staff in the hospital was reduced by an average of 20%, and 10% were relocated to other departments. Objective., The aims of this study were to explore registered nurses' experiences of psychosocial ,stressors' and ,motivators', and how they handled their work situations, following a period of personnel reductions and ongoing reorganization. Method., Interviews were undertaken with 14 nurses working in one Swedish hospital. Nurses were interviewed in 1997 about the recent and last round of redundancies, and were followed up 1 year later in 1998 and again in 2001. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and analysed for thematic content. Results., Five themes emerged in relation to nurses' perceived stressors, motivators, and coping options: ,distrust towards the employer', ,concurrent demands and challenges', ,professional ambiguity, ,a wish for collaboration', and ,efforts to gain control'. A common feature was duality and ambiguity in nurses' descriptions of the phenomena studied, meaning that identified themes had underlying sub-themes with both negative and positive dimensions. Conclusions., The concurrence of ,ever-growing job demands' and ,work going unrewarded' contributed to a feeling of being taken advantage of by the employer. The ,waste of human resources' and ,competence drain' that followed redundancies provoked anger. Unfulfilled collaboration with doctors was a major stress producer, which related to both the downsized work organization, and the complex ,deference-dominance' doctor,nurse relationship. The well-being of nurses depends on being an equal/parallel health professional in a comprehensive team that shares knowledge and improves collaborative care of patients. A consciously formulated nursing philosophy emerged as a health-promoting resource. This study demonstrates the importance of analysing feelings relating to professional ambiguity and gaining influence in a gender-related, hierarchical environment, and the need to support professional assertiveness in relation to superiors and doctors. It is also important to stress considerations that relate to differences in the age, care philosophy, and psychosocial health conditions of nurses. [source] | ||||||||||||||||