Staff empowerment and engagement in a magnet® recognized and joint commission international accredited academic centre in Belgium: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: A substantial number of studies linked aspects of a balanced, healthy and supportive nurse practice environment with quality and patient safety. To what extent balanced work characteristics such as social capital, decision latitude and workload are relevant for all staff engaged in patient care including healthcare and medical staff in a Magnet Recognized and Joint Commission International accredited academic centre is unclear. The study aim is to investigate associations between work characteristics such as social capital, decision latitude and workload, work engagement and feelings of burnout as explanatory variables and job satisfaction, turnover intentions and perceived quality of care as dependent variables in a study population of nursing, healthcare and medical staff taken in account generation differences. METHODS: Hierarchical regression analysis estimated strength of associations with demographic characteristics (block-1), professional category (block-2), work characteristics (block-3) and work engagement or burnout dimensions (block-4) as explanatory variables of job satisfaction and turnover intention and quality of care as outcome variables. RESULTS: The study confirmed and extended previous study findings demonstrating positive impact on staff' job outcomes and assessed quality of care by balanced work characteristics such as social capital, decision latitude and workload in nursing staff (N = 864), healthcare staff (N = 131) and medical staff (N = 241). Generational characteristics and professional category were associated with turnover intentions and less favorable assessed quality of care, respectively. Explained variances of studied models ranged from 14.4 to 45.7%. CONCLUSION: Engaging and committing staff to promote excellent patient outcomes in daily interdisciplinary practice works through clear frameworks, methods and resources supported by governance and policy structure that makes outcomes visible and accountable.

Predictors of occupational stress and well-being in First-Line Nurse Managers: A cross-sectional survey study.

BACKGROUND: First-line nurse managers have a pivotal role in the organization of health care but have to deal with significant job-related issues and problems in a changing and challenging health care environment. As their new roles are complex and often unclear, it might be expected that these professionals are at risk for occupational stress. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to analyze and describe relationships between job characteristics, and also interdisciplinary conflicts with physicians as potential predictors of occupational well-being (job satisfaction, psychosomatic distress, turnover intention, work engagement and burnout). DESIGN: this study had a cross-sectional design and used a web-based survey. METHODS: This study was conducted in 2015 in 11 Belgian (Flemish) hospitals. All First-line nurse managers were eligible (N=481) and 318 respondents (66.1%) agreed to take part in the survey. A hierarchical regression analyses was applied to analyze relationships between predictors and outcomes. RESULTS: job demand and job control measures were predictive of all outcomes. Collaboration with doctors only predicted job satisfaction and turnover intention. Social support from management was predictive of turnover intention. Social support from colleague- first-line nurse managers was not predictive. Social support from the staff members (team) was however a strong predictor of all stress outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Job demands, job control and social support of the team and management were all important predictors of occupational well-being in first-line nurse managers. All of these variables can be influenced by hospital management to improve the work conditions of this professional group in order to retain their workforce.