Comparison of Nursing Performance Competencies and Practical Education Needs Based on Clinical Careers of Operating Room Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

In order to provide appropriate practical training for quality nursing care, it is necessary to evaluate nursing performance competencies in terms of clinical careers. Using convenience sampling, this cross-sectional study aimed to identify the nursing performance competencies and practical education needs of operating room nurses by evaluating nurses' clinical careers. The participants in this study were 182 nurses working in the operating rooms of four general hospitals in Seoul, Korea. Data came from self-report questionnaires regarding nursing performance competencies and practical education needs. The results showed that participants' nursing performance competencies and practical education needs differed significantly across clinical career groups. Further, participants' nursing performance competencies were negatively correlated with practical education needs in terms of clinical career. In order to develop an effective and continuous practical education program for operating nurses, various education programs that reflect nursing performance competencies and practical education needs for particular stages of clinical careers are necessary.

Effect of head nurse empowerment program on staff nurses' job satisfaction at two educational hospitals in Rasht, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Job satisfaction of nurses is an important concept in nursing profession because it influences nursing care. Head nurses play a crucial role in the job satisfaction of nurse staffs. The current study, therefore, aimed to investigate the effect of Head Nurse Empowerment Program (HNEP) on job satisfaction of nurses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at two educational hospitals in Rasht, Iran. Of 160 staff nurses who were working in eight medical-surgical wards and two Intensive Care Units, 60 were recruited using simple random sampling method. The samples were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The HNEP was applied to promote the management skills among nurses, which included technical, communicational, perceptional, and diagnostic skills. The data were collected using nurses' job satisfaction questionnaire and analyzed using the Mann-Whitney and Wilcoxon Singed Ranks tests. P < 0.05 was set as the significance level. RESULTS: There was a significant difference in the job satisfaction of nurse staff within the experimental group on comparing pre- and post-HNEP phases [78 (65.50) vs. 78 (65.50); P < 0.001]. The job satisfaction also differed between the control and experimental groups [60 (82.25) vs. 128.5 (51.75); P < 0.001]. However, no significant difference [62 (78.75) vs. 60 (82.25); P = 0.129] was found within the control group. The number of satisfied nurse staffs increased in the experimental group from approximately 25% to 76% after HNEP. CONCLUSIONS: The HNEP can be used as a promoting tool in the nursing profession. Increasing head nurses' management skills can result in job satisfaction among the staff nurses.

Effects of Empowerment and Job Satisfaction on Nursing Performance of Clinical Nurses / 간호행정학회지

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to identify factors that affect nursing performance; Those factors are personal characteristics, sub-categories of empowerment and job satisfaction of clinical nurses. METHODS: Data were collected from November 24, 2012 to March 11, 2013, and participants were 451 hospital nurses in 6 hospitals. Descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Nurses who were older, married, highly educated, in the position of charge nurse, and with longer clinical careers showed relatively higher empowerment, higher job satisfaction, and higher nursing performance than others. Also, there were strong correlations between nursing performance and empowerment (r=.576)/job satisfaction (r=.617). Factors predicted nursing performance were relationship with coworkers (beta=.398), duty (beta=.181), promotion system (beta=.134), and turnover intention (beta=-.109). Factors predicting job satisfaction were competency of empowerment (beta=.249), and clinical career (beta=.151). These 6 factors explained 55.2% of the variance in nursing performance (F=93.37, <.001). CONCLUSION: Regarding human resource management, relationship with co-workers is a changeable factor. Therefore nursing organizations should apply these factors in human resource management to enhance nursing performance and achieve organizational goals.

Performance and Importance of Nursing Jobs in General Hospitals according to Levels of Work Experience of Nursing Staff / 기본간호학회지

PURPOSE: In this study differences in levels of performance and importance of nursing jobs were explored in relation to levels of work experience. METHOD: The sample was chosen by convenient sampling (N=363) and a cross-sectional study design was used. Frequencies and percentages were used for descriptive statistics. ANOVA was utilized to examine differences in performance and importance of nursing jobs among three groups of nurses, divided based on levels of work experience (less than 1 year, 1 to 4 years, and 5 or more years). RESULTS: Regarding performance of nursing jobs, novice nurses provided more support for patients, but provided less assessment of patients (i.e., investigation of levels of nutrition and exercise, and observation of verbal, and non-verbal behavior, and levels of cognition). Regarding the importance of nursing jobs, nursing linked to exercise and activities, and post-operative and excretion care were considered to be less important among novice nurses than among experienced nurses. CONCLUSION: Different training programs should be developed and provided to nurses according to levels of work experience. By doing so, it will be feasible to minimize differences in quality of nursing care triggered by different levels of work experience.

Development of Key Indicators for Nurses Performance Evaluation and Estimation of Their Weights for Management by Objectives

PURPOSE: This methodological research was designed to develop performance evaluation key indicators (PEKIs) for management by objectives (MBO) and to estimate their weights for hospital nurses. METHODS: The PEKIs were developed by selecting preliminary indicators from a literature review, examining content validity and identifying their level of importance. Data were collected from November 14, 2007 to February 18, 2008. Data set for importance of indicators was obtained from 464 nurses and weights of PEKIs domain was from 453 nurses, who worked for at least 2 yr in one of three hospitals. Data were analyzed using chi-square-test, factor analysis, and the Analytical Hierarchy Process. RESULTS: Based upon Content Validity Index of .8 or above, 61 indicators were selected from the 100 preliminary indicators. Finally, 40 PEKIs were developed from the 61 indicators, and categorized into 10 domains. The highest weight of the 10 domains was customer satisfaction, which was followed by patient education, direct nursing care, profit increase, safety management, improvement of nursing quality, completeness of nursing records, enhancing competence of nurses, indirect nursing care, and cost reduction, in that order. CONCLUSION: PEKIs and their weights can be utilized for impartial evaluation and MBO for hospital nurses. Further research to verify PEKIs would lead to successful implementation of MBO.