Nurses’ Organization of Work and Its Relation to Workload in Medical Surgical Units: A Cross-Sectional Observational Multi-Center Study
Introduction: Work contexts can affect nurses’ work and work outcomes. Work context factors of nurses, patients, or workflow can modulate nurses’ organization of work and determine increased workloads. Aim: The aim of this research was to analyze relationships between factors regarding the patient,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Healthcare |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/2/156 |
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| author | Federica Maria Pia Ferramosca Maddalena De Maria Dhurata Ivziku Barbara Raffaele Marzia Lommi Maria Ymelda Tolentino Diaz Graziella Montini Barbara Porcelli Anna De Benedictis Daniela Tartaglini Raffaella Gualandi |
| author_facet | Federica Maria Pia Ferramosca Maddalena De Maria Dhurata Ivziku Barbara Raffaele Marzia Lommi Maria Ymelda Tolentino Diaz Graziella Montini Barbara Porcelli Anna De Benedictis Daniela Tartaglini Raffaella Gualandi |
| author_sort | Federica Maria Pia Ferramosca |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Work contexts can affect nurses’ work and work outcomes. Work context factors of nurses, patients, or workflow can modulate nurses’ organization of work and determine increased workloads. Aim: The aim of this research was to analyze relationships between factors regarding the patient, the nurse, workflow, and nurses’ work organization, to investigate whether work organization is related to physical, mental, and emotional workloads, and to explore whether one dimension of workload influences the other dimensions. Methods: We used a cross-sectional design based on the Job Demand-Resources theory. We asked registered nurses, working in nine medical-surgical wards across three hospitals in Italy, to self-report on work organization and workloads regarding randomized shifts over three consecutive weeks. Four scales from the QEEW 2.0 questionnaire were used on an online survey for data collection. multivariable linear regressions with structural equation modelling were tested. The study was approved by the three local Ethics Committees. Results: We received 334 questionnaires regarding 125 shifts worked. Patient complexity (β = 0.347), patient specialties (β = 0.127), adequacy of staffing (β = −0.204), collaboration with colleagues (β = −0.155), unscheduled activities (β = 0.213), supply search (β = 0.141), and documentation (β = 0.221) significantly influenced nurses’ work organization. Nurses’ work organization was significantly related to physical, mental, and emotional nursing workloads. Conclusions: the patient, the nurse, and workflow aspects influence nurses’ work organization and workloads. Healthcare organizations, managers, and nurses should explore work settings to identify work turbulences early and implement strategies to improve nursing work conditions and workloads. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:34:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-05edc22d4d364887a0bea65a8b482d60 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9032 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:34:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Healthcare |
| spelling | doaj.art-05edc22d4d364887a0bea65a8b482d602023-11-30T22:26:12ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-01-0111215610.3390/healthcare11020156Nurses’ Organization of Work and Its Relation to Workload in Medical Surgical Units: A Cross-Sectional Observational Multi-Center StudyFederica Maria Pia Ferramosca0Maddalena De Maria1Dhurata Ivziku2Barbara Raffaele3Marzia Lommi4Maria Ymelda Tolentino Diaz5Graziella Montini6Barbara Porcelli7Anna De Benedictis8Daniela Tartaglini9Raffaella Gualandi10Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, ItalyDegree Course in Nursing, UniCamillus International Medical University, 00131 Rome, ItalyDegree Course in Nursing, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, ItalyDegree Course in Nursing, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, ItalyDegree Course in Nursing, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, ItalyLocal Health Authority Roma 2, 00159 Rome, ItalyDegree Course in Nursing, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Healthcare Professions, Campus Bio-Medico of Rome University Hospital, 00128 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Healthcare Professions, Campus Bio-Medico of Rome University Hospital, 00128 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Healthcare Professions, Campus Bio-Medico of Rome University Hospital, 00128 Rome, ItalyIntroduction: Work contexts can affect nurses’ work and work outcomes. Work context factors of nurses, patients, or workflow can modulate nurses’ organization of work and determine increased workloads. Aim: The aim of this research was to analyze relationships between factors regarding the patient, the nurse, workflow, and nurses’ work organization, to investigate whether work organization is related to physical, mental, and emotional workloads, and to explore whether one dimension of workload influences the other dimensions. Methods: We used a cross-sectional design based on the Job Demand-Resources theory. We asked registered nurses, working in nine medical-surgical wards across three hospitals in Italy, to self-report on work organization and workloads regarding randomized shifts over three consecutive weeks. Four scales from the QEEW 2.0 questionnaire were used on an online survey for data collection. multivariable linear regressions with structural equation modelling were tested. The study was approved by the three local Ethics Committees. Results: We received 334 questionnaires regarding 125 shifts worked. Patient complexity (β = 0.347), patient specialties (β = 0.127), adequacy of staffing (β = −0.204), collaboration with colleagues (β = −0.155), unscheduled activities (β = 0.213), supply search (β = 0.141), and documentation (β = 0.221) significantly influenced nurses’ work organization. Nurses’ work organization was significantly related to physical, mental, and emotional nursing workloads. Conclusions: the patient, the nurse, and workflow aspects influence nurses’ work organization and workloads. Healthcare organizations, managers, and nurses should explore work settings to identify work turbulences early and implement strategies to improve nursing work conditions and workloads.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/2/156hospitalsnursesworkplaceworking conditionsworkflowworkload |
| spellingShingle | Federica Maria Pia Ferramosca Maddalena De Maria Dhurata Ivziku Barbara Raffaele Marzia Lommi Maria Ymelda Tolentino Diaz Graziella Montini Barbara Porcelli Anna De Benedictis Daniela Tartaglini Raffaella Gualandi Nurses’ Organization of Work and Its Relation to Workload in Medical Surgical Units: A Cross-Sectional Observational Multi-Center Study Healthcare hospitals nurses workplace working conditions workflow workload |
| title | Nurses’ Organization of Work and Its Relation to Workload in Medical Surgical Units: A Cross-Sectional Observational Multi-Center Study |
| title_full | Nurses’ Organization of Work and Its Relation to Workload in Medical Surgical Units: A Cross-Sectional Observational Multi-Center Study |
| title_fullStr | Nurses’ Organization of Work and Its Relation to Workload in Medical Surgical Units: A Cross-Sectional Observational Multi-Center Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nurses’ Organization of Work and Its Relation to Workload in Medical Surgical Units: A Cross-Sectional Observational Multi-Center Study |
| title_short | Nurses’ Organization of Work and Its Relation to Workload in Medical Surgical Units: A Cross-Sectional Observational Multi-Center Study |
| title_sort | nurses organization of work and its relation to workload in medical surgical units a cross sectional observational multi center study |
| topic | hospitals nurses workplace working conditions workflow workload |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/2/156 |
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