Job Characteristics in Nursing and Cognitive Failure at Work
Objectives: Stressors in nursing put high demands on cognitive control and, therefore, may increase the risk of cognitive failures that put patients at risk. Task-related stressors were expected to be positively associated with cognitive failure at work and job control was expected to be negatively...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2011-06-01
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| Series: | Safety and Health at Work |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791111220110 |
| _version_ | 1827887357271998464 |
|---|---|
| author | Achim Elfering Simone Grebner Anna Dudan |
| author_facet | Achim Elfering Simone Grebner Anna Dudan |
| author_sort | Achim Elfering |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives: Stressors in nursing put high demands on cognitive control and, therefore, may increase the risk of cognitive failures that put patients at risk. Task-related stressors were expected to be positively associated with cognitive failure at work and job control was expected to be negatively associated with cognitive failure at work.
Methods: Ninety-six registered nurses from 11 Swiss hospitals were investigated (89 women, 7 men, mean age = 36 years, standard deviation = 12 years, 80% supervisors, response rate 48%). A new German version of the Workplace Cognitive Failure Scale (WCFS) was employed to assess failure in memory function, failure in attention regulation, and failure in action exertion. In linear regression analyses, WCFS was related to work characteristics, neuroticism, and conscientiousness.
Results: The German WCFS was valid and reliable. The factorial structure of the original WCF could be replicated. Multilevel regression task-related stressors and conscientiousness were significantly related to attention control and action exertion.
Conclusion: The study sheds light on the association between job characteristics and work-related cognitive failure. These associations were unique, i.e. associations were shown even when individual differences in conscientiousness and neuroticism were controlled for. A job redesign in nursing should address task stressors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:16:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f4c387d5810f4acaaa116e9cba58f700 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2093-7911 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T20:16:06Z |
| publishDate | 2011-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Safety and Health at Work |
| spelling | doaj.art-f4c387d5810f4acaaa116e9cba58f7002023-08-02T01:20:52ZengElsevierSafety and Health at Work2093-79112011-06-012219420010.5491/SHAW.2011.2.2.194Job Characteristics in Nursing and Cognitive Failure at WorkAchim Elfering0Simone Grebner1Anna Dudan2Department of Psychology, University of Bern, BernUniversity of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Aargau, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychology, University of Bern, BernObjectives: Stressors in nursing put high demands on cognitive control and, therefore, may increase the risk of cognitive failures that put patients at risk. Task-related stressors were expected to be positively associated with cognitive failure at work and job control was expected to be negatively associated with cognitive failure at work. Methods: Ninety-six registered nurses from 11 Swiss hospitals were investigated (89 women, 7 men, mean age = 36 years, standard deviation = 12 years, 80% supervisors, response rate 48%). A new German version of the Workplace Cognitive Failure Scale (WCFS) was employed to assess failure in memory function, failure in attention regulation, and failure in action exertion. In linear regression analyses, WCFS was related to work characteristics, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. Results: The German WCFS was valid and reliable. The factorial structure of the original WCF could be replicated. Multilevel regression task-related stressors and conscientiousness were significantly related to attention control and action exertion. Conclusion: The study sheds light on the association between job characteristics and work-related cognitive failure. These associations were unique, i.e. associations were shown even when individual differences in conscientiousness and neuroticism were controlled for. A job redesign in nursing should address task stressors.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791111220110NursesPatient safetyCognitive failureOccupational stress |
| spellingShingle | Achim Elfering Simone Grebner Anna Dudan Job Characteristics in Nursing and Cognitive Failure at Work Safety and Health at Work Nurses Patient safety Cognitive failure Occupational stress |
| title | Job Characteristics in Nursing and Cognitive Failure at Work |
| title_full | Job Characteristics in Nursing and Cognitive Failure at Work |
| title_fullStr | Job Characteristics in Nursing and Cognitive Failure at Work |
| title_full_unstemmed | Job Characteristics in Nursing and Cognitive Failure at Work |
| title_short | Job Characteristics in Nursing and Cognitive Failure at Work |
| title_sort | job characteristics in nursing and cognitive failure at work |
| topic | Nurses Patient safety Cognitive failure Occupational stress |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791111220110 |
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