Areas of work-life, psychological capital and emotional intelligence on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among nurses: A cross-sectional study.

AIM: To examine the impact of six areas of work-life, emotional intelligence and psychological capital on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among Canadian Registered Nurses and licensed practical nurses. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 296 Registered Nurses and 110 licensed practical nurses answered a self-administered questionnaire measuring areas of work-life, psychological capital, emotional intelligence, compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue in September 2019. The association between variables were analysed with descriptive and correlational analyses, while the hypothesized models were tested using multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: This study identified several areas of work-life and intrapersonal resources that impacted compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Among Registered Nurses, compassion satisfaction was predicted by psychological capital, rewards, values and workload. Compassion fatigue was predicted by psychological capital, workload, control and community. Among licensed practical nurses, compassion satisfaction was predicted by psychological capital and emotional intelligence. Compassion fatigue was predicted by workload and psychological capital. Study results also revealed significant differences in Registered Nurses' and licensed practical nurses' perceptions of workload, rewards and fairness at work, and both compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. Registered Nurses perceived their workload to be more manageable and perceived greater rewards and greater fairness at work than licensed practical nurses. Compassion fatigue was higher for Registered Nurses than licensed practical nurses, while compassion satisfaction was higher for licensed practical nurses than Registered Nurses. Future studies should investigate the nature and span of these differences to suggest relevant strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue and promote compassion satisfaction for each of these nursing roles. CONCLUSION: The results of this study underscore the need to create nursing work environments that foster a manageable workload and positive social relationships, where nurses have professional autonomy, decision-making capacities and access to adequate resources to do their job effectively. The nursing work environment should also provide recognition of nurses' contributions and an alignment between personal and organizational values. Investments in the development and improvement of nurses' psychological capital and emotional intelligence should be prioritized since they are malleable and impactful intrapersonal resources on compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. REPORTING METHOD: This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines. PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: A total of 406 nurses were involved in this study by answering a self-administered study survey.

Stakeholder Perspectives on In-home Passive Remote Monitoring to Support Aging in Place in the Province of New Brunswick, Canada: Rapid Qualitative Investigation.

BACKGROUND: The province of New Brunswick (NB) has one of the oldest populations in Canada, providing an opportunity to develop and test innovative strategies to address the unique health challenges faced by older adults. Passive remote monitoring technology has the potential to support independent living among older adults. Limited research has examined the benefits of and barriers to the adoption of this technology among community-dwelling older adults. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore perceptions of in-home passive remote monitoring technology designed to support aging in place from the perspective of older adults, their family or friend caregivers, social workers, and government decision-makers in the province of NB, Canada. METHODS: Between October 2018 and March 2020, a rapid qualitative investigation of 28 one-on-one interviews was conducted in person or via telephone. Participants included 2 home support services clients and 11 family or friend caregivers who had used passive remote monitoring technology in their homes; 8 social workers who had worked as case managers for home support services clients; and 7 individuals who were key government decision-makers in the adoption, policy development, and use of the technology in the province of NB. The interviews focused on the following topics: decision to adopt the passive remote monitoring system, barriers to adopting the passive remote monitoring system, benefits of the passive remote monitoring system, impact on client health outcomes, and privacy concerns. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by a team of 6 researchers. Data analysis was conducted using a rapid assessment process approach that included matrix analysis. RESULTS: Participants reported that the use of the remote monitoring system allowed older adults to live at home longer and provided caregiver relief. Stakeholders were invested in meeting the home support (home care) needs of older adults. However, when it came to the use of remote monitoring, there was a lack of consensus about which clients it was well-suited for and the role that social workers should play in informing clients and caregivers about the service (role ambiguity, gatekeeping, and perceived conflicts of interest). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight many benefits and challenges of the adoption of passive remote monitoring for clients, their family or friend caregivers, and public provincial health and social services systems. Passive remote monitoring is a valuable tool that can provide support to older adults and their family or friend caregivers when it is a good fit with client needs. Further work is needed in NB to increase public and social workers' awareness of the service and its benefits.

The effects of authentic leadership, organizational identification, and occupational coping self-efficacy on new graduate nurses' job turnover intentions in Canada.

BACKGROUND: Nurses' turnover has a costly impact on organizations, patients, and nurses. Numerous studies have highlighted the critical role of nursing leadership in enhancing new nurses' retention. PURPOSE: To examine the influence of authentic leadership on new nurses' job turnover intentions through their personal identification with the leader, organizational identification, and occupational coping self-efficacy. METHODS: Secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional national study of Canadian new graduate nurses was conducted using structural equation modeling. FINDINGS: Authentic leadership had a significant positive effect on nurses' personal identification with their leader and their organization. Personal identification mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and organizational identification. Organizational identification had a significant positive effect on occupational coping self-efficacy, which, in turn, had a negative effect on new graduate nurses' job turnover intentions. DISCUSSION: The findings demonstrate the vital role authentic leadership plays in retaining new graduate nurses. Authentic leaders foster personal and organizational identification among new graduate nurses, leading to increase in the confidence in their ability to manage work-related challenges, which subsequently results in positive outcomes in both new graduate nurses and the organization.

Factors influencing new graduate nurse burnout development, job satisfaction and patient care quality: a time-lagged study.

AIM: To test a hypothesized model linking new graduate nurses' perceptions of their manager's authentic leadership behaviours to structural empowerment, short-staffing and work-life interference and subsequent burnout, job satisfaction and patient care quality. BACKGROUND: Authentic leadership and structural empowerment have been shown to reduce early career burnout among nurses. Short-staffing and work-life interference are also linked to burnout and may help explain the impact of positive, empowering leadership on burnout, which in turn influences job satisfaction and patient care quality. DESIGN: A time-lagged study of Canadian new graduate nurses was conducted. METHODS: At Time 1, surveys were sent to 3,743 nurses (November 2012-March 2013) and 1,020 were returned (27·3% response rate). At Time 2 (May-July 2014), 406 nurses who responded at Time 1 completed surveys (39·8% response rate). Descriptive analysis was conducted in SPSS. Structural equation modelling in Mplus was used to test the hypothesized model. RESULTS: The hypothesized model was supported. Authentic leadership had a significant positive effect on structural empowerment, which in turn decreased both short-staffing and work-life interference. Short-staffing and work-life imbalance subsequently resulted in nurse burnout, lower job satisfaction and lower patient care quality 1 year later. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that short-staffing and work-life interference are important factors influencing new graduate nurse burnout. Developing nurse managers' authentic leadership behaviours and working with them to create and sustain empowering work environments may help reduce burnout, increase nurse job satisfaction and improve patient care quality.

The Effect of Authentic Leadership, Person-Job Fit, and Civility Norms on New Graduate Nurses' Experiences of Coworker Incivility and Burnout.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the influence of authentic leadership, person-job fit with 6 areas of worklife, and civility norms on coworker incivility and burnout among new graduate nurses. BACKGROUND: New graduate nurses report experiencing high levels of workplace incivility from coworkers, which has been found to negatively impact their job and career satisfaction and increase their intention to leave. The role of civility norms in preventing burnout and subsequent exposure to incivility from coworkers has yet to be examined among new graduate nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional mail survey of 993 new graduate nurses across Canada was conducted. RESULTS: The results supported the hypothesized relationships between study variables. CONCLUSIONS: Civility norms play a key role in preventing early career burnout and coworker incivility experienced by new graduate nurses. Leaders can influence civility norms by engaging in authentic leadership behaviors and optimizing person-job fit.

The influence of authentic leadership and empowerment on nurses' relational social capital, mental health and job satisfaction over the first year of practice.

AIMS: To examine a theoretical model testing the effects of authentic leadership, structural empowerment and relational social capital on the mental health and job satisfaction of new graduate nurses over the first year of practice. BACKGROUND: Relational social capital is an important interpersonal organizational resource that may foster new graduate nurses' workplace well-being and promote retention. Evidence shows that authentic leadership and structural empowerment are key aspects of the work environment that support new graduate nurses; however, the mediating role of relational social capital has yet to be explored. DESIGN: A longitudinal survey design was used to test the hypothesized model. METHODS: One hundred ninety-one new graduate nurses in Ontario with <2 years of experience completed mail surveys in January-March 2010 and 1 year later in 2011. Path analysis using structural equation modelling was used to test the theoretical model. RESULTS: Participants were mostly female, working full time in medicine/surgery or critical care. All measures demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. Path analysis results supported our hypothesized model; structural empowerment mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and nurses' relational social capital, which in turn had a negative effect on mental health symptoms and a positive effect on job satisfaction. All indirect paths in the model were significant. CONCLUSION: By creating structurally empowering work environments, authentic leaders foster relational social capital among new graduate nurses leading to positive health and retention outcomes.

Workplace social capital in nursing: an evolutionary concept analysis.

AIM: To report an analysis of the concept of nurses' workplace social capital. BACKGROUND: Workplace social capital is an emerging concept in nursing with potential to illuminate the value of social relationships at work. A common definition is needed. DESIGN: Concept analysis. DATA SOURCES: The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PubMed, PsychINFO and ProQuest Nursing. REVIEW METHODS: Databases were systematically searched using the keywords: workplace social capital, employee social capital, work environment, social capital and nursing. Sources published between January 1937-November 2012 in English that described or studied social capital of nurses at work were included. A total of 668 resources were found. After removing 241 duplicates, literature was screened in two phases: (1) titles and abstracts were reviewed (n = 427); and (2) remaining data sources were retrieved and read (n = 70). Eight sources were included in the final analysis. RESULTS: Attributes of nurses' workplace social capital included networks of social relationships at work, shared assets and shared ways of knowing and being. Antecedents were communication, trust and positive leadership practices. Nurses' workplace social capital was associated with positive consequences for nurses, their patients and healthcare organizations. CONCLUSION: Nurses' workplace social capital is defined as nurses' shared assets and ways of being and knowing that are evident in, and available through, nurses' networks of social relationships at work. Future studies should examine and test relationships between antecedents and consequences of nurses' workplace social capital to understand this important aspect of healthy professional practice environments better.

The influence of leadership practices and empowerment on Canadian nurse manager outcomes.

AIM: To examine the influence of senior nurse leadership practices on middle and first-line nurse managers' experiences of empowerment and organizational support and ultimately on their perceptions of patient care quality and turnover intentions. BACKGROUND: Empowering leadership has played an important role in staff nurse retention but there is limited research to explain the mechanisms by which leadership influences nurse managers' turnover intentions. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of data collected using non-experimental, predictive mailed survey design. Data from 231 middle and 788 first-line Canadian acute care managers was used to test the hypothesized model using path analysis in each group. RESULTS: The results showed an adequate fit of the hypothesized model in both groups but with an added path between leadership practices and support in the middle line group. CONCLUSIONS: Transformational leadership practices of senior nurses empower middle- and first-line nurse managers, leading to increased perceptions of organizational support, quality care and decreased intent to leave. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Empowered nurse managers at all levels who feel supported by their organizations are more likely to stay in their roles, remain committed to achieving quality patient care and act as influential role models for potential future leaders.