ABSTRACT
AIM: To describe how organizational context and restructuring influenced nurse leaders' use of evidence in decision-making in their management practice. METHOD: Qualitative descriptive study. Fifteen leaders at executive and front-line manager levels in one organization were interviewed using a semi-structured format. FINDINGS: Inductive content analysis generated five main themes: leaders strove to keep relationships that preserve best decision-making ability; and sought the best knowledge to inform their decisions. However, a context of constant change; more scope; less autonomy; and decisional inertia in a sea of change had profound effects on their ability to employ evidence in decision-making. IMPLICATIONS: Evidence-informed decision-making is a dynamic social process highly influenced by political instability in work environments. Organizational restructuring creates threats to common decision-making strategies, including information flow, relationships and priority setting. Healthcare restructuring is now a global constant, and there is a need for hospital leaders to understand and mitigate the effect restructuring has on the ability of leaders to engage in evidence-informed decision-making. Strategies are proposed to manage uncertainty and support nurse leaders in their evidence-informed decision-making to deliver quality health services. This research provides an in-depth examination of how evidence-informed decision-making is influenced in the context of instability and uncertainty due to ever-present organizational restructuring.
Subject(s)
Decision Making , Delivery of Health Care/organization & administration , Leadership , Nurse Administrators , Organizational Innovation , Humans , Perception , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
In this study, we tested a structural equation model to examine work environment factors related to changes in job satisfaction of oncology nurses between 2004 and 2006. Relational leadership and good physician/nurse relationships consistently influenced perceptions of enough RNs to provide quality care, and freedom to make patient care decisions, which, in turn, directly influenced nurses' job satisfaction over time. Supervisor support in resolving conflict and the ability to influence patient care outcomes were significant influences on job satisfaction in 2004, whereas, in 2006, a clear philosophy of nursing had a greater significant influence. Several factors that influence job satisfaction of oncology nurses in Canada have changed over time, which may reflect changes in work environments and work life. These findings suggest opportunities to modify work conditions that could improve nurses' job satisfaction and work life.
Subject(s)
Job Satisfaction , Nurses/psychology , Oncology Nursing , Canada , Humans , Models, Theoretical , Treatment Outcome , WorkforceABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Numerous policy and research reports call for leadership to build quality work environments, implement new models of care, and bring health and wellbeing to an exhausted and stretched nursing workforce. Rarely do they indicate how leadership should be enacted, or examine whether some forms of leadership may lead to negative outcomes. We aimed to examine the relationships between various styles of leadership and outcomes for the nursing workforce and their work environments. METHODS: The search strategy of this multidisciplinary systematic review included 10 electronic databases. Published, quantitative studies that examined leadership behaviours and outcomes for nurses and organizations were included. Quality assessments, data extractions and analysis were completed on all included studies. FINDINGS: 34,664 titles and abstracts were screened resulting in 53 included studies. Using content analysis, 64 outcomes were grouped into five categories: staffsatisfaction with work, role and pay, staff relationships with work, staff health and wellbeing, work environment factors, and productivity and effectiveness. Distinctive patterns between relational and task focused leadership styles and their outcomes for nurses and their work environments emerged from our analysis. For example, 24 studies reported that leadership styles focused on people and relationships (transformational, resonant, supportive, and consideration) were associated with higher nurse job satisfaction, whereas 10 studies found that leadership styles focused on tasks (dissonant, instrumental and management by exception) were associated with lower nurse job satisfaction. Similar trends were found for each category of outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our results document evidence of various forms of leadership and their differential effects on the nursing workforce and work environments. Leadership focused on task completion alone is not sufficient to achieve optimum outcomes for the nursing workforce. Efforts by organizations and individuals to encourage and develop transformational and relational leadership are needed to enhance nurse satisfaction, recruitment, retention, and healthy work environments, particularly in this current and worsening nursing shortage.
Subject(s)
Health Facility Environment/organization & administration , Leadership , Nurse Administrators/organization & administration , Nursing Research/organization & administration , Nursing Staff/organization & administration , Workplace/organization & administration , Data Collection , Data Interpretation, Statistical , Humans , Interprofessional Relations , Job Satisfaction , Models, Nursing , Nurse Administrators/psychology , Nurse's Role/psychology , Nursing Staff/psychology , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , Research Design , Workplace/psychologyABSTRACT
AIM: This study aimed to identify and examine predictors of short-term absences of staff nurses working in hospital settings reported in the research literature. BACKGROUND: Front-line staff nurse absenteeism contributes to discontinuity of patient care, decreased staff morale and is costly to healthcare. EVALUATION: A systematic review of studies from 1986 to 2006, obtained through electronic searches of 10 online databases led to inclusion of 16 peer-reviewed research articles. Seventy potential predictors of absenteeism were examined and analysed using content analysis. KEY ISSUE: Our findings showed that individual 'nurses' prior attendance records', 'work attitudes' (job satisfaction, organizational commitment and work/job involvement) and 'retention factors' reduced nurse absenteeism, whereas 'burnout' and 'job stress' increased absenteeism. Remaining factors examined in the literature did not significantly predict nurse absenteeism. CONCLUSIONS: Reasons underlying absenteeism among staff nurses are still poorly understood. Lack of robust theory about nursing absenteeism may underlie the inconsistent results found in this review. Further theory development and research is required to explore the determinants of short-term absenteeism of nurses in acute care hospitals. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Work environment factors that increase nurses' job satisfaction, and reduce burnout and job stress need to be considered in managing staff nurse absenteeism.
