ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The workplace environment plays a pivotal role in employees' lives as they spend many hours there. Recently, greater attention has been placed on workplace conditions as a key social determinant of health. One way through which workplace conditions may affect health is workplace dignity. This study aimed to describe clinical nurses' workplace dignity. METHODS: The study design was descriptive and cross-sectional. Clinical nurses within a tertiary institution were randomly sampled. Data collection included the Workplace Dignity scale which is an 18 item-seven-point Likert scale consisting of dignity and indignity questions (α.98, and 0.95, respectively). Data collection commenced with a pilot followed by a final data collection phase. Ethical considerations were included via informed consent, anonymity, and confidentiality. Data analysis included means, standard deviations, and Pearson correlations. RESULTS: The pilot test yielded a reliability coefficient - α 0.93. Two hundred and thirty-six clinical nurses participated in the study resulting in a response rate of 87.4%. The average mean age of participants was 37.966 ± 0.635 (min 25- max 60) years. Most participants were female (92.8%) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (77.5%). The overall mean experience as a registered nurse was 16.038 ± 0.589 years. Nationality responses were divided into Saudi (41.5%) and non-Saudi (58.5%). The construct of general dignity had the highest mean score of 5.52 (SD 1.46), with question 14: "I have dignity at work" having the highest overall mean score of 5.63 (SD 1.4). There was a positive correlation and statistical significance with a 'p < 0.000 i.e. as a nurses' experience as a registered nurse increased, workplace dignity scores increased. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicated that inherent value and general dignity were the highest-scored constructs while indignity and respectful interaction scored the lowest. This study allows for reflection on the importance of workplace dignity, as an impactful and important organizational phenomenon that affects either positively or negatively on employee well-being and performance, hence workplace dignity must be prioritized within work environmental infrastructures.
ABSTRACT
Little research has focused on understanding interpersonal dynamics within a diverse nursing staff. This study investigated the impact of diversity on the interaction level among staff nurses, job satisfaction, nursing turnover, and the multicultural sensitivity of a diverse nursing staff in metropolitan Washington, DC. Data were collected from 194 registered nurses with 2 standardized instruments--the Workforce Diversity Questionnaire-II by Larkey and the Multicultural Sensitivity Scale Questionnaire by Jibaja-Rusth and others. One-way analyses of variance and correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. The findings showed that nurses who were satisfied with their current job were more likely to value differences and build trusting relationships. Nurses with higher educational levels appeared to be more open and involved with other cultural groups and were more likely to build more trusting relationships with other cultural groups. Multicultural sensitivity was related to cultural group inclusion/exclusion, valuing differences, and adaptation; however, multicultural sensitivity and trust were not related. Delivery of cost-effective, quality nursing care in the 21st century demands that the positive potential of cultural diversity in the nursing workforce be more fully understood through research such as this. More research on diversity is needed during these challenging times for the nursing profession.