The buffering effects of psychological capital on the relationship between physical violence and mental health issues of nurses and personal care assistants working in aged care facilities.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of psychological capital on the relationship between physical violence and mental health issues of nurses and personal care assistants (PCAs) working in aged care using the job demands-resources theory. METHODOLOGY: Data were collected from 254 nurses and PCAs of the Australian Nursing Midwifery Federation located in Victoria, Australia. The study takes a quantitative approach and tests the hypotheses through regression analyses. FINDINGS: The results indicate that experiencing physical violence increases levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. This, in turn, increases nurses' and PCAs' intention to leave. However, increased psychological capital can assist nurses and PCAs in dealing with physical violence. RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS: The study acknowledges that physical violence is a factor in nurses' intention to leave. The significant finding is that psychological capital plays a protective role in ameliorating the negative impact of physical violence on individual well-being and intentions to leave. We note, however, that this is a cross-section study, and more longitudinal research needs to be undertaken. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: There are clear implications for managers to create a supportive organization that cultivates hope, self-efficacy, and resilience, thereby increasing psychological capital. Leadership development programs could build a supportive foundation for nurses to seek support and build resilience. Job construction should be focused on protecting nurses from risk by utilizing manageable workloads to limit stress, depression, and anxiety. ORIGINALITY: Our study extends research on retention of these skilled and important health care workers in a demanding environment that has largely been absent from the literature. Specifically, physical violence is often considered part of nursing work, but its impact on mental health, well-being, and intention to leave are underexplored in this sector, as well as the effectiveness of specific measures that bolster the negative impact of physical violence on nurses.

Workplace health promotion interventions for Australian workers with intellectual disability.

Workplace health promotion (WHP) and the general wellbeing of workers in the Australian workforce should be a priority for all management. Our study argues that management support for workers with an intellectual disability (WWID) can make a difference to their health promotion and ultimately their participation in the workforce. We adopt a qualitative approach, through semi-structured interviews with 22 managers, across various organizations, to examine their perspectives around the WHP of WWID. We integrate the key values of WHP; rights for health, empowerment for health and participation for health (Spencer, Corbin and Miedema, Sustainable development goals for health promotion: a critical frame analysis, Health Promot Int 2019;34:847-58) into the four phases of WHP interventions; needs assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation (Bortz and Döring, Research Methods and Evaluation for Human and Social Scientists, Heidelberg: Springer, 2006) and examine management perspectives (setting-based approach) on WHP of WWID. Where this integration had taken place, we found some evidence of managers adopting more flexible, innovative and creative approaches to supporting the health promotion of WWID. This integration seemed to drive continuous improvement for WWID health promotion at the workplace. We also found evidence that some organizations, such an exemplar film company, even over deliver in terms of supporting WWID needs by encouraging their capabilities in film making interventions, whilst others are more direct in their support by matching skills to routine jobs. Our approach demonstrates that incorporating key WHP values into the four-phase WHP framework is critical for the effective health promotion of WWID.