“Always Look at the Clock”: Psychosocial Working Conditions in Outpatient Care—A Qualitative Study

Background: In view of demographic change, there is a growing need for qualified nursing professionals. More and more people in need of care prefer to be cared for at home. A shortage of skilled workers and constantly changing and increasing professional requirements are some of the consequences. Th...

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Main Authors: Monika Bernburg, Volker Harth, David A. Groneberg, Stefanie Mache
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-11-01
Series:Healthcare
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/23/3043
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author Monika Bernburg
Volker Harth
David A. Groneberg
Stefanie Mache
author_facet Monika Bernburg
Volker Harth
David A. Groneberg
Stefanie Mache
author_sort Monika Bernburg
collection DOAJ
description Background: In view of demographic change, there is a growing need for qualified nursing professionals. More and more people in need of care prefer to be cared for at home. A shortage of skilled workers and constantly changing and increasing professional requirements are some of the consequences. The aim of this study is to generate further insights into work-related psychosocial stress factors and the resources of outpatient caregivers in their subjective perceptions to derive approaches for possible health-promoting interventions for practice and research that promote healthier and more sustainable work. In addition, coping strategies and needs should be inquired about in order to determine support offers. Methods: Using a semi-structured interview guide, thirty outpatient nursing professionals in Germany were interviewed in 2022. The subject of this interview was the psychosocial working conditions and resources in outpatient care. The collected data were evaluated by means of the Kuckartz qualitative content analysis. Results: This qualitative study identified work-related job demands and resources in outpatient care. The way nurses are treated in the companies they work for and the appreciation of patients were explored as important resources. Physical demands, the time factor, and dealing with personal fates are primarily mentioned as stress factors. The learning effect plays an important role in dealing with these. Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of current job strain and resources as well as job satisfaction in outpatient care. In any case, it became clear that the nursing staff love their profession, which they see more as a vocation. Future quantitative studies are necessary to build on these findings. First ideas of implications for health promotion measures in research and practice have already been derived.
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spelling doaj.art-b07ddcf04b5f46bc83e85fbfd9c4a9592023-12-08T15:16:03ZengMDPI AGHealthcare2227-90322023-11-011123304310.3390/healthcare11233043“Always Look at the Clock”: Psychosocial Working Conditions in Outpatient Care—A Qualitative StudyMonika Bernburg0Volker Harth1David A. Groneberg2Stefanie Mache3Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, GermanyInstitute for Occupational Medicine and Maritime Medicine (ZfAM), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), 20459 Hamburg, GermanyInstitute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, GermanyInstitute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt, GermanyBackground: In view of demographic change, there is a growing need for qualified nursing professionals. More and more people in need of care prefer to be cared for at home. A shortage of skilled workers and constantly changing and increasing professional requirements are some of the consequences. The aim of this study is to generate further insights into work-related psychosocial stress factors and the resources of outpatient caregivers in their subjective perceptions to derive approaches for possible health-promoting interventions for practice and research that promote healthier and more sustainable work. In addition, coping strategies and needs should be inquired about in order to determine support offers. Methods: Using a semi-structured interview guide, thirty outpatient nursing professionals in Germany were interviewed in 2022. The subject of this interview was the psychosocial working conditions and resources in outpatient care. The collected data were evaluated by means of the Kuckartz qualitative content analysis. Results: This qualitative study identified work-related job demands and resources in outpatient care. The way nurses are treated in the companies they work for and the appreciation of patients were explored as important resources. Physical demands, the time factor, and dealing with personal fates are primarily mentioned as stress factors. The learning effect plays an important role in dealing with these. Conclusion: This study contributes to a better understanding of current job strain and resources as well as job satisfaction in outpatient care. In any case, it became clear that the nursing staff love their profession, which they see more as a vocation. Future quantitative studies are necessary to build on these findings. First ideas of implications for health promotion measures in research and practice have already been derived.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/23/3043outpatient nursing personnelstress factorsresourcesworking conditionsmental healthhealth promotion
spellingShingle Monika Bernburg
Volker Harth
David A. Groneberg
Stefanie Mache
“Always Look at the Clock”: Psychosocial Working Conditions in Outpatient Care—A Qualitative Study
Healthcare
outpatient nursing personnel
stress factors
resources
working conditions
mental health
health promotion
title “Always Look at the Clock”: Psychosocial Working Conditions in Outpatient Care—A Qualitative Study
title_full “Always Look at the Clock”: Psychosocial Working Conditions in Outpatient Care—A Qualitative Study
title_fullStr “Always Look at the Clock”: Psychosocial Working Conditions in Outpatient Care—A Qualitative Study
title_full_unstemmed “Always Look at the Clock”: Psychosocial Working Conditions in Outpatient Care—A Qualitative Study
title_short “Always Look at the Clock”: Psychosocial Working Conditions in Outpatient Care—A Qualitative Study
title_sort always look at the clock psychosocial working conditions in outpatient care a qualitative study
topic outpatient nursing personnel
stress factors
resources
working conditions
mental health
health promotion
url https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/11/23/3043
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