A comparison of burnout among oncology nurses working in adult and pediatric inpatient and outpatient settings.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To investigate differences in burnout among oncology nurses by type of work setting, coping strategies, and job satisfaction. DESIGN: Descriptive. SETTING: A metropolitan cancer center. SAMPLE: A convenience sample of 74 oncology nurses. METHODS: Participants completed a demographic data form, the Nursing Satisfaction and Retention Survey, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Burnout, coping strategies, job satisfaction, and oncology work setting (inpatient versus outpatient and adult versus pediatric). FINDINGS: The participants most often used spirituality and coworker support to cope. Emotional exhaustion was lowest for youngest nurses and highest for outpatient RNs. Personal accomplishment was highest in adult settings. Job satisfaction correlated inversely with emotional exhaustion and the desire to leave oncology nursing. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support that the social context within the work environment may impact emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and that demographics may be more significant in determining burnout than setting. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: The findings raise questions of whether demographics or setting plays a bigger role in burnout and supports organizational strategies that enhance coworker camaraderie, encourage nurses to discuss high-stress situations, and share ways to manage their emotions in oncology settings. KNOWLEDGE TRANSLATION: Spirituality and coworker relationships were positive coping strategies among oncology nurses to prevent emotional exhaustion. Nurses who rely on supportive social networks as a coping mechanism have lower levels of depersonalization. Age was inversely related to emotional exhaustion.

Influencers of ethical beliefs and the impact on moral distress and conscientious objection.

Considering a growing nurse shortage and the need for qualified nurses to handle increasingly complex patient care situations, how ethical beliefs are influenced and the consequences that can occur when moral conflicts of right and wrong arise need to be explored. The aim of this study was to explore influencers identified by nurses as having the most impact on the development of their ethical beliefs and whether these influencers might impact levels of moral distress and the potential for conscientious objection. Nurses whose ethical beliefs were most influenced by their religious beliefs scored higher in levels of moral distress and demonstrated greater differences in areas of conscientious objection than did nurses who developed their ethical beliefs from influencers such as family values, life and work experience, political views or the professional code of ethics.

Comparison of syllabi expectations between faculty and students in a baccalaureate nursing program.

This study aimed to explore and compare expectations of syllabi between students and faculty in a university baccalaureate nursing department. Knowing what students expect from syllabi can lead to improved student success and may reduce faculty time in clarifying class policies. Faculty and nursing students from eight semesters volunteered to complete a survey exploring syllabi definitions, pertinent content, and the importance of student involvement in syllabi development. The findings suggest there are differences between faculty and student perceptions regarding important syllabi content. Students wanted syllabi that provided the nuts and bolts of how to accomplish each assignment and course requirement most efficiently. Faculty preferred information about student behavior, such as student conduct, participation, and attendance rules. Adult Learning Theory was used to explain these differences. This article points out that faculty may not be as in touch with the needs of adult learners as they claim to be.

Opinions of adult learners about negotiating syllabi rules in a baccalaureate nursing program.

A baccalaureate nursing (BSN) program is using the philosophy of adult learning as a tenet of curriculum development. This philosophical approach is to support the uniqueness of the adult learner. Are nursing faculty composing course syllabi in a way that allows accommodations for adult learners' complex lives? Which syllabi items, if any, would adult learners negotiate? This descriptive study was part of a larger study conducted by the same researchers that compared nursing faculty and student expectations of syllabi. One hundred ninety-nine BSN students reported they would ask for syllabi accommodations and identified the rationale for doing so. The most frequently selected accommodation to be negotiated was assignment deadlines (46%), followed by attendance requirements (35%) and testing deadlines (28%). Personal or family issues was identified by more than 80% of students as the reason they would request a change.

Exploring the Postpartum Adjustment Questionnaire as a predictor of postpartum depression.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of the Postpartum Adjustment Questionnaire in predicting symptoms of postpartum depression as measured by scores from the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale. DESIGN: Prospective descriptive. SETTING: Mid-sized urban regional medical center. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 200 English-speaking postpartum women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Postpartum Depression Screening Scale scores and demographic data obtained at 6 weeks postpartum were compared with Postpartum Adjustment Questionnaire scores obtained before women were discharged from the hospital following delivery. RESULTS: Using the total Postpartum Adjustment Questionnaire score, a cut point of 4 or higher was found to have the best positive predictive power in predicting postpartum depression symptoms. However, similar results were seen when 1 question from the Postpartum Adjustment Questionnaire was used rather than the entire survey. Overall, the Postpartum Adjustment Questionnaire had a moderate correlation (.28) with Postpartum Depression Screening Scale scores. CONCLUSION: The Postpartum Adjustment Questionnaire may be a valid predictor of postpartum depression, although it will identify only about 40% of women who develop this condition. Using a single question to identify women at risk for postpartum depression offers a cost-effective alternative to the complete questionnaire. Further studies with larger, multiethnic samples are needed before conclusions can be drawn and definitive recommendations for practice made.