Considerations for an aging nurse anesthetists workforce

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) workforce is aging. It is estimated that nearly half (49.7%) of the CRNA workforce is age 50 or greater, with those practicing in management positions and as educators having the oldest mean ages. Older CRNAs face workplace challenges that can lead to decreased productivity and overall job satisfaction. Common injuries to older practitioners result from repetitive motion, slips and falls, needle sticks, fatigue, and emotional or mental health related illness. Because of the high acuity environment in which CRNAs practice they are at an elevated risk for these injuries. Creating a healthy and supportive work environment has been shown to improve the retention of aging healthcare workers, and succession planning is essential in preparing for their retirement.     

Factors Associated With Work Satisfaction of Registered Nurses

PURPOSE: To examine the factors that influence the work satisfaction of a national sample of registered nurses in metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs). DESIGN: A cross-sectional mailed survey design was used. The sample consisted of RNs randomly selected from 40 MSAs in 29 states; 1,907 RNs responded (48%). The sample of 1,538 RNs working in nursing was used for analysis. METHODS: The questionnaire included measures of work attitudes and demographic characteristics. The data were analyzed using ordinary least-squares regression. FINDINGS: More than 40% of the variance in satisfaction was explained by the various work attitudes: supervisor support, work-group cohesion, variety of work, autonomy, organizational constraint, promotional opportunities, work and family conflict, and distributive justice. RNs who were White, self-perceived as healthy, and working in nursing education were more satisfied. RNs that were more career oriented were more satisfied. Of the benefits options, only paid time off was related to satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Work-related factors were significantly related to RNs' work satisfaction.     

中老年人的复原力与成功老化

介绍了复原力、成功老化的概念以及复原力与成功老化的关系。提出在中老年人群中复原力正向性影响成功老化;成功老化可增强复原力。建议在中老年人群中进行更多的研究,以验证复原力与成功老化的关系。     

The development and piloting of electronic standardized measures on nursing work: combining engineering and nursing knowledge

bragadóttir h., gunnarsdóttir s. & ingason h.t. (2013) Journal of Nursing Management  21 , 679–689 The development and piloting of electronic standardized measures on nursing work: combining engineering and nursing knowledge Aims  This paper describes the development and piloting of electronic standardized measures on nursing work (e-SMNW) for rich data gathering on the work and work environment of registered nurses (RNs) and practical nurses (PNs). Background  Efficient and valid methods are needed to measure nursing work to enhance the optimal use of the nursing workforce for safe patient care. Methods  The study combined human factors engineering (HFE) and nursing knowledge to develop electronic standardized measures for observational studies on nursing work in acute care. Results  The work and work environment of RNs and PNs in acute care medical and surgical inpatient units was successfully measured using e-SMNW. With predetermined items of work activities and influencing factors in the work of nurses, and full use of computer technology, multi-layered rich standardized data were gathered, analysed and displayed. Conclusions  The combination of nursing knowledge, HFE and computer technology enables observational data collection for a rich picture of the complex work of nursing. Implications for nursing management  Information collected by standardized and multi-layered measures makes it easier to identify potential improvements, with regard to influencing factors and management of the work and work environment of nurses. Further use of computer technology in health services research is encouraged.     

护理工作环境与护士职业倦怠现状及相关性研究

目的调查医院整体护理工作环境以及护士职业倦怠的现状,探讨二者的相关性。方法采用一般资料调查表、护理工作环境量表和护士职业倦怠量表对某医院302名护士进行调查。结果护理工作环境总分为(218.92±33.54)分,处于较低水平;护士职业倦怠检出率为69.21%,情绪衰竭维度得分最高;护理工作环境与护士职业倦怠呈负相关(P0.01)。结论护理管理者应提高医院整体护理工作环境,以降低护士职业倦怠感。     

Job satisfaction among a multigenerational nursing workforce

Aim To explore generational differences in job satisfaction. Background Effective retention strategies are required to mitigate the international nursing shortage. Job satisfaction, a strong and consistent predictor of retention, may differ across generations. Understanding job satisfaction generational differences may lead to increasing clarity about generation‐specific retention approaches. Method The Ontario Nurse Survey collected data from 6541 Registered Nurses. Participants were categorized as Baby Boomer, Generation X or Generation Y based on birth year. Multivariate analysis of variance explored generational differences for overall and specific satisfaction components. Results In overall job satisfaction and five specific satisfaction components, Baby Boomers were significantly more satisfied than Generations X and Y. Conclusion It is imperative to improve job satisfaction for younger generations of nurses. Implications for Nursing Management Strategies to improve job satisfaction for younger generations of nurses may include creating a shared governance framework where nurses are empowered to make decisions. Implementing shared governance, through nurse‐led unit‐based councils, may lead to greater job satisfaction, particularly for younger nurses. Opportunities to self schedule or job share may be other potential approaches to increase job satisfaction, especially for younger generations of nurses. Another potential strategy would be to aggressively provide and support education and career‐development opportunities.     

Attitudes of nursing staff working with older people towards nutritional nursing care

Aim. The aim of this study was to examine attitudes of the nursing staff in geriatric care towards factors of importance for nutritional nursing care. Background. Studies show that nutritional risk assessment is seldom performed on older patients as routine and very few patients have a nutritional care plan. Patients in long‐term care who are easy to feed are also found to be looked upon more positively than those with high feeding needs. Methods. A total of 252 registered nurses and nurse aids working at geriatric rehabilitation and medical care clinics and resident homes participated in the study. Attitudes were examined using the Staff Attitudes to Nutritional Nursing Care Geriatric scale. The scale includes 18 items and was designed as a one to five‐point Lickert‐type scale. It gives a total score and five subscales representing the dimensions ‘Norms’, ‘Habits’, ‘Assessment’, ‘Intervention’ and ‘Individualization’. A higher score indicates a more positive attitude. Results. Of all nursing staff, 53% displayed a positive attitude towards factors of importance for nutritional nursing care and the rest displayed a neutral or negative attitude. The ‘Intervention’ dimension, dealing with nutritional problems and how to manage them, reflected the highest level of positive attitudes, which represents 71% of the nursing staff. The ‘Norms’ dimension had the lowest relative frequency of positive attitudes, 27%. The registered nurses held significantly more positive attitudes than the nurse aids did. Conclusions. Nutritional issues comprise an important and time‐consuming responsibility in geriatric care; however, nursing staff do not show an unequivocal positive attitude regarding this responsibility. The consequences this entails for the older patient need to be examined further. Relevance to clinical practice. Nursing staff play an important role in caring for patients who are malnourished or at risk for malnutrition. Positive attitudes might hinder the development of undernourishment or the further worsening of an already undernourished patient's condition.     

Implementation and evaluation of a practical intervention programme for dealing with violence towards health care workers

Implementation and evaluation of a practical intervention programme for dealing with violence towards health care workers The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate a practical intervention programme designed to help staff in health care work-places to deal with patient violence towards staff. The programme was part of a controlled, prospective study that ran for 1 year. The study population was comprised of staff at 47 health care work-places, randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The Violent Incident Form (VIF), a checklist designed to simplify the registration of violent events, was introduced at all 47 work sites, where staff were instructed to register all types of violent and threatening incidents directed towards them during the 1-year study period. The intervention work-places also followed a structured feedback programme, where the circumstances concerning registered incidents were discussed on a regular basis with work-place staff. Baseline examination of the study groups revealed no statistically significant difference with regard to self-reported violence in the past year. At the conclusion of the 1-year period, the difference between groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Staff at the intervention work sites reported 50% more violent incidents than the control work sites during the year. Compared to the control group, intervention group staff reported better awareness: of risk situations for violence (P < 0.05); of how potentially dangerous situations could be avoided (P < 0.05); and of how to deal with aggressive patients (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis confirmed an increased risk for self-reported violence in the intervention group post-intervention (odds ratio 1.49; 95% confidence interval 1.07-2.06; P < 0.05). The structured feedback programme seems to have improved staff knowledge of risks for violence in the intervention group.