The role of nurses' adherence to clinical safety guidelines in linking nurse practice environment to missed nursing care.

INTRODUCTION: While the nurse practice environment's vital role in shaping patient care outcomes is well established, the precise mechanisms through which it influences missed nursing care remain unexplored. Hence, this study examined the mediating role of adherence to clinical safety guidelines in the relationship between the nurse practice environment and missed nursing care. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional study involved 1237 nurses from 11 governorates in the Sultanate of Oman. Data were collected using three standardized scales: the Patient Safety Adherence Scale, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, and the Missed Nursing Care Scale. RESULTS: A favorable nurse practice environment was associated with higher adherence to clinical safety guidelines (ß = 2.492, p < 0.001) and a lower frequency of missed nursing care (ß = -0.2919, p = 0.015). Adherence to clinical safety guidelines partially mediated the relationship between the nurse practice environment and missed nursing care (ß = -0.055, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Enhancing the nurse practice environment plays a crucial role in improving nurses' adherence to clinical safety guidelines, which in turn reduces compromised nursing care. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Healthcare administrators and policymakers should prioritize improving working conditions to enhance nurses' adherence to clinical safety guidelines, thereby minimizing the occurrence of missed care and improving overall patient outcomes.

Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers among adult ICU patients in tertiary hospitals in Oman: a one-year prevalence study.

BACKGROUND: Hospital-acquired pressure ulcer (HAPU) is a significant problem in healthcare settings and is associated with negative impacts on patient health. Although monitoring of pressure ulcers (PUs) among hospitalised patients was started more than a decade ago in Oman, no previous studies have been completed to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of HAPUs among patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and identify risk factors for HAPUs among adult ICU patients in selected tertiary hospitals in Oman. METHOD: A retrospective, cross-sectional, nested, case-control design was used to identify the prevalence rate of HAPUs and risk factors for a cohort of adult ICU patients over one calendar year (1 January-31 December 2019) in two tertiary hospitals in Oman. RESULTS: The prevalence rate for HAPU among ICU patients in Oman was 36.4%. However, when excluding cases of stage 1 ulcer, the rate was 30.37%. The most prevalent location was the sacrum (64.1%), and the most common stage was stage 2 (73.1%). The risk factors for HAPU included male sex (odds ratio (OR): 0.37; p=0.023), organ failure (OR: 3.2; p=0.033), cancer (OR: 3.41; p=0.049), cerebrovascular accident (OR: 12.33; p=0.001), mechanical ventilator (OR: 9.64; p=0.025) and ICU length of stay (OR: 1.24; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: HAPUs among ICU patients constitute a significant problem associated with severe clinical consequences and result in substantial adverse healthcare outcomes worldwide, including in Oman. Identifying the risk factors and the impact on the healthcare system is the foundation for preventing and managing HAPUs.

Prevalence and Predictors of Loneliness Among Youth During the Time of COVID-19: A Multinational Study.

BACKGROUND: Given the restrictions associated with COVID-19, feelings of loneliness among youth may increase. AIMS: The aims of the current study were to assess the prevalence of loneliness among young people at the time of COVID-19 and to identify whether selected variables related to the pandemic predicted the level of loneliness. METHOD: A cross-sectional study using WhatsApp and Facebook social media platforms was conducted to survey 1,057 young people aged 15 to 24 years from six Middle Eastern countries. Participants completed survey items including demographic and COVID-19-related questions; the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS); the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS); and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of experienced loneliness was 1 (0.1%), 625 (59.1%), 429 (40.6%), and 2 (0.2%), reflecting low, moderate, moderately high, and high experiences for loneliness, respectively. History of depression or anxiety, being dissatisfied with life, and having depression at the time of COVID-19 were significant predictors of loneliness among youth. The model was significant (F = 44.95, p < .05) and accounted for 29.8% of the variance in UCLA Loneliness Scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the high prevalence rate of loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic was correlated with depression and impaired life satisfaction among Middle Eastern youth. Thus, special attention and interventional action plans need to be developed taking into consideration the youths' special situation during COVID-19.

Nurses' job burnout and its association with work environment, empowerment and psychological stress during COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: The aim of this study was to assess the influence of perceived work environment, empowerment and psychological stress on job burnout among nurses working at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. BACKGROUND: Nurses experienced high levels of job burnout during the pandemic, which impacted their mental health and well-being. Studies investigating the influence of work environment, empowerment and stress on burnout during the time of COVID-19 are limited. DESIGN: The study utilized a cross-sectional design. METHODS: Data were collected from 351 nurses in Oman between January and March 2021. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire and the Perceived Stress Scale were used to assess study variables. RESULTS: About two-thirds of the nurses (65.6%) reported high levels of job burnout. Nurse managers' ability, leadership and support; staffing and resources adequacy; and nurses' access to support were significant factors associated with a reduced level of burnout. CONCLUSION: Supporting nurses during the crisis, ensuring adequate staffing levels and providing sufficient resources are critical to lower job burnout. Creating a positive and empowered work environment is vital to enhance nurses' retention during the pandemic.

Acceptance, attitudes, and barriers of vaccine booster dose among nursing students: A multicounty survey.

AIM: This study investigated the acceptance and attitudes of nursing students toward the COVID-19 vaccine booster dose in two Gulf Cooperation countries and the potential influencing factors for taking a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. BACKGROUND: The world is still battling coronavirus because of the emerged of variants and because protection against COVID-19 has waned over time. Vaccination is a powerful and effective method of reducing the outbreak of COVID-19 and decreasing the loss of lives. DESIGN: This research was a survey using a cross-sectional design. METHODS: The study's sample was two nursing colleges. The study tool was adopted according to recent information concerning the COVID-19 vaccine published by the World Health Organization. Data was collected through an online survey during March to April. RESULTS: A total of 216 nursing students completed the survey, of which 69.4% (n = 150) were male students and more than half of the participants were from Saudi Arabia (55.1%, n = 119). Two-thirds of the students (75.5%, n = 161) reported that they agreed to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster. The total attitude scores for the students ranged from 28 to 35, with a mean score of 15.8 (SD = 2.5), representing 73% of the highest possible score, with 79.3% classified as 'positive attitude toward booster dose of COVID-19'. Vaccine booster might cause infection, vaccine booster ineffective, worried about adverse effects and not safe were major barriers influencing the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine booster. CONCLUSION: Nursing students revealed high acceptance rates related to COVID-19 vaccine booster. However, more attention should be paid from nursing educators to barriers influencing the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine booster. Preparing nursing students with positive attitude of COVID-19 vaccine booster is very important to patient and community safety. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nursing educators and managers must make an effort to educate the nursing students regarding safety and effectiveness from COVID-19 vaccine booster and ensure that it is necessary to reduce their perception of the injury of COVID-19 infection.

Interprofessional collaboration as a mediator in the relationship between nurse work environment, patient safety outcomes and job satisfaction among nurses.

BACKGROUND: As an important organisational feature, the nurse work environment has been associated with increased work effectiveness, reduced patient safety issues and improved care quality. However, the mechanism underlying this association remains unexplored. AIM: This study aims to assess the mediating role of interprofessional collaboration in the relationships between nurse work environment, select patient safety outcomes and job satisfaction. METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive study used five standardized scales and included 881 clinical nurses employed in select teaching hospitals in Oman. RESULTS: Nurses who worked in teaching hospitals in Oman perceived their work environment as highly favourable. Nurse work environment was directly and indirectly associated with nurse-assessed quality of care, adverse patient events and job satisfaction, through interprofessional collaborations. CONCLUSION: Findings of the study suggest that enhancing nurse work environments can be a potential strategy to foster interprofessional collaboration and improve job satisfaction and patient safety outcomes. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Organisational strategies to improve patient safety outcomes and job satisfaction in nurses can be facilitated by improving nurses' work conditions and enhancing interprofessional collaboration through supportive leadership, theory-driven approaches, obtaining hospital accreditation/certification and relevant workplace policies.

Authentic leadership and nurses' motivation to engage in leadership roles: The mediating effects of nurse work environment and leadership self-efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Leadership styles of a nurse manager have a profound influence on staff nurses' motivation to engage in formal nursing leadership roles; however, the mechanism underlying this pattern of influence remains unknown. AIM: To assess the direct and indirect effect of nurse managers' authentic leadership on staff nurses' motivation to engage in formal leadership roles, through the intermediary role of nurse work environment and leadership self-efficacy. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 1534 nurses from 24 acute care hospitals in the Sultanate of Oman. FINDINGS: Nurse managers' authentic leadership was associated with staff nurses' motivation to engage in formal leadership roles. Nurse practice environment and leadership self-efficacy mediated partially the association between authentic leadership and motivation to engage in formal leadership roles. CONCLUSION: Results of this study underscore the value of authentic leadership in creating a healthy work environment and fostering nurses' leadership self-efficacy, resulting in greater motivation to engage in nursing leadership roles. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Organizational strategies to attract nurses to undertake leadership roles should include measures to bolster authentic leadership behaviours in nurse managers through theory-driven leadership development programmes or interventions, continuing education, effective succession planning and creating a supportive work environment.

Authentic leadership, nurse-assessed adverse patient events and quality of care: The mediating role of nurses' safety actions.

BACKGROUND: Authentic leadership has been consistently cited as a strong precursor of sustained job performance and work effectiveness in nurses; however, studies linking authentic leadership with nurses' safety actions, nurse-assessed adverse patient events and nursing care quality are scarce. AIM: To examine whether nurses' safety actions mediate the relationship between authentic leadership, nurse-assessed adverse events and nursing care quality. METHODS: A multi-centre, cross-sectional study involving 1,608 nurses employed in acute care facilities in Oman. Multi-stage regression analysis was conducted in testing for the mediation model. FINDINGS: Nurse managers in Oman were perceived to be highly authentic by their staff nurses. Authentic leadership significantly predicted nurses' safety actions (ß = 0.168, p < .001), decrease in nurse-assessed adverse events (ß = -0.017, p = .024) and increase in care quality (ß = 0.121, p < .001). Further, the association between authentic leadership and nurse-assessed adverse events (ß = -0.063, p = .057) and care quality (ß = 0.038, p = .002) was mediated by nurses' safety actions. CONCLUSION: Results suggest the importance of developing nurse managers' authentic leadership to foster nurses' safety actions and reduce adverse patient outcomes and promote nursing care quality. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Organizational efforts to address patient safety issues should be directed towards developing authentic leadership in nurse managers through leadership programmes, periodic evaluation of leadership competencies (e.g., 360-degree or a bottom-up performance evaluation), and a creation of a safe culture in which nurses can openly report safety concerns for corrective action.

Differences in critical thinking skills between nursing students on a fast-track versus traditional 4-year programme.

BACKGROUND: The authors were unable to find studies comparing the critical thinking skills of nursing students on advanced standing programmes (ASP) and on traditional 4-year BN programmes in Canada. The ASP is a condensed Bachelor of Nursing (BN) programme, designed for students who already have a university degree or similar qualification. AIM: To measure and compare the critical thinking skills of ASP students and traditional 4-year BN students. METHOD: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire used to collect data from 100 nursing students at a university in Canada. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. All research ethics were taken into consideration. FINDINGS: All participants scored highly in their critical thinking skills. However, ASP students scored significantly higher than their counterparts on the 4-year programme (M=21.6 vs M=18.9, F=4.75, P=0.035). CONCLUSION: Higher critical thinking skills among ASP nursing students is a promising sign to expand and support this type of programme as a fast and effective method to cover the shortage in nurses.

COVID-19 pandemic and remote teaching: transition and transformation in nursing education.

Remote teaching (RT) was the only option left to educators to continue education with public policy of lockdowns and social distancing during COVID-19 pandemic. RT is the online mode of instructional delivery. Globally it has become mandatory for all nurse educators to switch to RT mode. Many factors have been identified for effective implementation of RT, of which the major elements are choice of online teaching mode, pedagogy to choose the platform or technology, faculty preparedness, and the learner motivation and expectations. The dire need to meet the educational objectives demanded sudden transition to online mode. The paradigm shifts to RT brought many challenges and pragmatic guidance for teachers and institutions Remote teaching is flexible, student centered and feasible with opportunities to develop technically empowered faculty and coherent digital education strategies. However, tackling threats like academic integrity, inequity in accessibility and limited faculty preparedness necessitates attention. RT being flexible tool is weakened by low self-motivated students and low connectivity with digital inequity and security issues. The challenges opened opportunity to enhance faculty technical competency and learning management system.

Effectiveness of Implementing Emergency Severity Index Triage System in a Selected Primary Health Care Center in Oman: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND: Because most primary health care centers in Oman do not use a formal triage system, there are no available data on the effectiveness of implementing this system. PURPOSE: To assess the effectiveness of implementing an Emergency Severity Index triage system in primary health care centers in Oman. METHODS: A pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design was used. The sample comprised 187 patients before Emergency Severity Index implementation and 102 patients after implementation. Waiting time, length of stay, patient satisfaction, and accuracy of classification were compared across the 2 groups. RESULTS: The mean time (hour:minute) from registration to triage was reduced in the post-Emergency Severity Index group (mean = 0:18, SD = 0:14) compared with the pre-Emergency Severity Index group (mean = 0:23, SD = 0:19) (t = 2.59, P = 0.01). Furthermore, the mean length of stay was reduced in the post-Emergency Severity Index group (mean = 1:09, SD = 0:37) compared with that of the preimplementation group (mean = 1:24, SD = 0:41) (t = 3.10, P = 0.002). Patient satisfaction in the postimplementation group was improved (mean = 66.95, SD = 8.33) compared with that of the Emergency Severity Index group (mean = 65.01, SD = 8.73), but it did not reach statistical significance (t = -1.83, P = 0.07). The inter-rater agreement of triage level in post-Emergency Severity Index implementation markedly improved in the postimplementation group (Cohen's kappa = 0.910, P < 0.001) compared with that of the preimplementation group (Cohen's kappa = 0.082, P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Although this is a single-setting study, the results have shown that the Emergency Severity Index system can contribute to a decrease in the negative crowding outcomes in primary health care centers in Oman.

Healthy work environments are critical for nurse job satisfaction: implications for Oman.

AIMS: To (1) examine the level and variability of nurse work environment and job satisfaction and (2) explore how nurse job satisfaction in tertiary hospitals in Oman is influenced by the nurses' characteristics and work environment. BACKGROUND: In Oman and the Middle East, a scarcity of research addressing nurse work environment and job satisfaction exists. Such evidence is necessary for policymaking to positively impact nurse job outcomes, and therefore, quality of care. METHODS: We used a cross-sectional descriptive design employing a sample of 454 local and expatriate nurses who responded to a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: The work environment was favourable, and it positively correlated with job satisfaction. Nationality, education, hospital type, staffing, resources and participation in hospital affairs were significant predictors of nurse job satisfaction. The greatest amount of variation in nurse job satisfaction was explained by the work environment. CONCLUSION: The influence of work environment on nurse job satisfaction is greater than nurse characteristics and hospital and unit types. Enhancing nurse participation in hospital affairs and providing adequate staffing and resources are central means of establishing healthy work environments, which is an auspicious, cost-effective strategy for satisfying, and therefore, retaining nurses. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: To enhance nurse work environment and job satisfaction in Oman and the Middle East, nurse and health leaders need to consider developing work and professional regulations and adopting policies to promote staffing, resources, wages, and benefits for nurses and encourage their promotion and career advancement; and foster nurse participation in hospital affairs.

The Use of Electronic Medical Records in Jordanian Hospitals: A Nationwide Survey.

No previous nationwide study has estimated to what extent electronic health records have been implemented in Jordanian hospitals. The purpose of this descriptive, cross-sectional study was to explore the level of adoption and use of electronic health records in Jordanian hospitals across all major healthcare service providers. The standardized American Hospital Association annual survey was used. The level of use of electronic functionalities of electronic health records was determined. The association of certain hospital characteristics with the adoption of electronic health records was examined. A proportion of 10.3% of the participating hospitals had a comprehensive use of electronic health records in all units, and 15.5% had a basic system in at least one unit. Most (74.2%, n = 72) had not implemented electronic health records. The hospitals with a higher rate of adoption were found to be larger, government, urban, and teaching hospitals that had coronary care units. The level of adoption of electronic health records in Jordan is relatively low. This fact should impel policy makers to resolve the challenges and obstacles for such adoption. National strategic plans are needed to address the goals and implementation processes of electronic health record systems in all Jordanian hospitals.

Infection control practices among intensive care unit registered nurses: a Jordanian national study.

AIMS: This study aimed to evaluate infection control (IC) practices among Jordanian registered nurses (RNs) working in intensive care unit (ICU) settings. BACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends periodic assessment of IC practices for health care workers as an effective strategy to control infections. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive design. METHODS: A stratified, cluster random sampling technique was used. The sample consisted of ICU RNs from all major health care service providers and from all geographical areas in Jordan. The IC-Practices Tool (Cronbach α = 0·88) a self-report instrument was used. RESULTS: A total of 21 hospitals participated in the study, of which, 8 were governmental, 7 military, 4 private and 2 university-affiliated. The final sample consisted of 247 RNs from 56 critical care units. Of the total sample, 36% of RNs were from governmental hospitals. Of the total sample, 51% were female with a mean age of 28·5 years (SD = 5·2), and 54·7% worked in general ICUs. The mean overall IC practice score was 122·6 (SD = 13·2). Nurses who reported that they had been trained about IC procedures in their hospital scored higher on the IC practice scale (M = 124·3, SD = 12·3) than nurses who never received any IC training in the hospital (M = 117·3, SD = 14·6, p < 0·001). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the importance of conducting IC educational programmes as an effective strategy to increase staff compliance with standard IC practices. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Educational role of IC nurse is important to enhance RNs compliance with standard IC practices.

Glycaemic control and its associated factors among adult Omanis with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between glycemic control and diabetes self-management (DSM) and other associated factors among adult Omanis with Type-1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM). METHODS: A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to collect data among 210 adult Omanis with T1DM who were conveniently recruited. All tools were self-reported, whereas the HbA1c was collected from the patient's electronic medical records. RESULTS: The HbA1c mean value was 8.6 (SD = 2.5), 30.5% had optimal glycemic control (<7.0). A significant negative relationship between HbA1c and DSM (r = - 0.191, p = 0.006) and diabetes knowledge (r = - 0.153, p = 0.026) was found. Furthermore, the mean HbA1c was significantly lower for persons with a single marital status, have higher education level, have children, are unemployed, were not admitted to the hospital in the last year, and have a health care professional as a family member. Additionally, marital status, level of education, DSM, and social support were significant predictors of glycemic control. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that better glycemic control could be achieved by optimizing DSM, social support, and diabetes knowledge. Sociodemographic factors should be considered when treating individuals with T1DM to reach good glycemic control.

An Agreement Among Nurse Educators on Infection Prevention and Control Practices to Ensure Safe Clinical Training Post-COVID-19.

Background: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices during nursing students' clinical training are based on standardized precautions. However, the spread of COVID-19 raised the need to revise these practices. We aimed in this study to assess nurse educators' agreement on items that represent precautionary guidelines, which enhance safety during clinical training of students. It aimed to reach an agreement among nurse educators on IPC practices to ensure safe clinical training. Materials and Methods: This descriptive explorative, cross-sectional study included 243 Jordanian and Omani educators. The study questionnaire was based mainly on evidence reported in the literature. The study questionnaire comprised items for trainers to practice and items to supervise students. It was developed based on available evidence and recommended training practices during COVID-19 suggested by the WHO and the literature. Both the face and content validity processes were adopted to validate the study questionnaire. The final version was composed of 26 items for trainers and 20 items for students subsumed in the following themes: protecting self, protecting others, and essential training needs. Results: All questionnaire items were rated above the midpoint indicating agreement among participants on including the new IPC practices. All suggested practices (26 items for the trainers and 20 items for the students) were supported by the study participants. Conclusions: Clinical training is an important component of nursing students' preparation. Findings suggest the importance of adding new IPC practices to improve student IPC practices, protect themselves and others, minimize cross-infections, and enhance students' training within a safe clinical environment.

Influence of Organisational-Level Factors on Delayed Door-to-Balloon Time among Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

Objectives: This study aimed to estimate the door-to-balloon (DTB) time and determine the organisational-level factors that influence delayed DTB times among patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction in Oman. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted on all patients who presented to the emergency department at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Royal Hospital, Muscat, Oman, and underwent primary percutaneous coronary interventions during 2018-2019. Results: The sample included 426 patients and the median DTB time was 142 minutes. The result of the bivariate logistic regression showed that patients who presented to the emergency department with atypical symptoms were 3 times more likely to have a delayed DTB time, when compared to patients who presented with typical symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 3.003, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.409-6.400; P = 0.004). In addition, patients who presented during off-hours were 2 times more likely to have a delayed DTB time, when compared to patients who presented during regular working hours (OR = 2.291, 95% CI: 1.284-4.087; P = 0.005). Conclusion: To meet the DTB time recommendation, it is important to ensure adequate staffing during both regular and irregular working hours. Results from this study can be used as a baseline for future studies and inform strategies for improving the quality of care.

Factors associated with millennial nurses' intention to pursue formal leadership roles: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: This study aims to examine the level of intention to pursue formal nursing leadership roles among millennial nurses and to identify the different factors that may play a role in their intentions to pursue such roles. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This study used a multi-center, cross-sectional research design. Registered nurses born between 1980 and 2000 (n = 1,377) who worked in 23 acute care hospitals in Oman were included in this study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression. Data were collected between July 2019 and January 2020. FINDINGS: Nearly 70% of millennial nurses researched their intention for career advancement to assume nursing leadership responsibility. Factors associated with nurses' intention to pursue formal nursing leadership roles were the type of nursing degree held (having a bachelor of science in nursing degree), type of hospital facility affiliation (teaching hospital), previous leadership experience, structural empowerment (access to support, opportunity and resources), work satisfaction and job burnout. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Millennial nurses, who represent the largest segment of the nursing workforce, have begun assuming nursing management and leadership roles; however, little is known about the factors affecting their intentions to pursue these roles. The findings of this study revealed different factors (both modifiable and nonmodifiable) influencing millennial nurses' intentions to pursue formal leadership roles.

Direct and Moderating Effects of Work Environment and Structural Empowerment on Job Stress and Job Satisfaction Among Nurses in Oman.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the relationships between nurses' work environment, job stress and job satisfaction, along with the moderating effects of work environment and empowerment on the relationship between job stress and job satisfaction. Methods: A descriptive correlational design was utilised for this study. The study encompassed a convenience sample of 1,796 hospital nurses from the 11 governorates in Oman. Moreover, a self-report questionnaire that included a set of instruments was used to collect the data. Results: Nurses who perceived higher levels of job stress reported lower levels of satisfaction and empowerment and perceived their work environment as less favourable and supportive. The findings only confirmed the direct effects of work environment and empowerment on satisfaction, whereas no support was found for indirect or moderating effects. Furthermore, the hierarchical regression model showed that 46.5% of the variation in the level of job satisfaction was explained by the study variables. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the importance of implementing strategies that empower staff, provide a supportive and positive work environment and tackle job stress to enhance levels of job satisfaction.

Role transition from education to practice and its impact on the career futures of Omani nurses.

AIM: The aim of this study was to examine new Omani graduate nurses' role transition from education to practice. We also sought to describe factors that may affect the effective transition of new Omani graduates to their professional nurse role. BACKGROUND: There is a substantial literature on the process of transition from graduation to being a professional nurse in countries across the globe; however, little is known about new Omani graduate nurses' role transition from education to practice. DESIGN: This study had a descriptive cross-sectional design. METHODS: Data were collected from nurses who at the time of the study had been working for at least 3 months but not longer than 2 years. Role transition was assessed with the Comfort and Confidence subscale of the Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey (Casey et al., 2004). The survey consists of a 24-items that are rated on a 4-point Likert scale. We conducted a multivariate regression analysis to assess the factors that influence nurses' role transition. These factors included participants' demographic information, employment orientation durations, preceptorship duration and length of time before employment. RESULTS: The total sample consisted of 405 nurses working in 13 hospitals in Oman. Most (68.89%) had worked as a nurse for less than 6 months. The average internship and orientation durations were approximately 6 months (SD = 1.58) and 2 weeks (SD = 1.79), respectively. The number of preceptors assigned to new graduate nurses ranged from none to four. The average score on the Comfort and Confidence subscale was 2.96 (SD = 0.38). Results from the regression analysis demonstrated that age (ß = 0.029, SE = 0.012, p = .021), waiting time before employment (ß = -0.035, SE = 0.013, p = .007) and employment orientation duration (ß = -0.007, SE = 0.003, p = .018) were statistically significant factors influencing role transition experience among newly joined nurses. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that appropriate intervention strategies at the national level are needed to enhance the transition of nursing school graduates to their professional role. Strategies directed toward shortening the waiting time before employment and improving the internship experience are examples of priority-level tactics that can enhance Omani nursing graduates' transition to their professional role.