RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Nurses face substantial career challenges arising from global pandemics, economic crises, and their roles in conflict-ridden areas. In this context, the rights of nurses pertaining to decent work, such as freedom, fairness, safety, and dignity, are not adequately safeguarded. This study examines decent work status among Chinese nurses and its links to demographics, work engagement, and turnover intention. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was used following STROBE guidelines. Through a convenient sampling method, a total of 476 nurses were surveyed. These participants were drawn from three esteemed tertiary Grade A hospitals in Hangzhou, with data collection spanning from June to August in 2023. We used a comprehensive set of assessment instruments, encompassing an evaluation of demographic characteristics, the Decent Work Perceptions Scale (DWPS), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UEWS), and turnover intention questionnaire. Bootstrapping procedures were used to ensure the robustness and reliability of the model. RESULTS: The study revealed that nurses' perceptions of decent work significantly impacted work engagement (ß = 0.603, p < 0.001) and turnover intention (ß = -0.275, p < 0.001). Work engagement operated as a mediator between decent work and turnover intention, decreasing the likelihood of nurses leaving their positions (ß = -0.062, p < 0.001). Factors such as age, years of working experience, professional title, job category, and attendance at professional conferences significantly influenced nurses' perceptions of decent work (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study examines factors affecting decent work among nurses and explores its connection with work engagement and the intention to leave. Despite limitations (sample, social desirability bias), the study offers valuable insights for nursing practice. This suggests managers improve decent work for young nurses through rational shift schedules and continuous education. Policymakers should consider adjusting nursing policies for better employment conditions.
RESUMO
Objective: Nurses constitute the largest group of healthcare workers worldwide, and job burnout is very common among them. This study aims to explore abnormal future thinking in nurses with burnout. Additionally, the study investigates whether these manifestations worsen as burnout progresses. Methods: The study was conducted in inpatient ward nurses at a tertiary hospital in Hangzhou, China. In the first phase, two group of nurses were recruited: nurses with burnout (N = 70) and nurses without burnout (N = 70). In the second phase, three groups were recruited according to the burnout levels: mild burnout (N = 43), moderate burnout (N = 42) and severe burnout (N = 43). Data on job burnout were obtained using the Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory. The Sentence Completion for Events in the Future Test (SCEFT) was employed to measure the content of future thinking, which was evaluated by two raters in terms of the specificity, emotional valence, and concrete content of the imagined future events. The proportions of specific types of events among all the produced events were calculated. Results: The results revealed that nurses with burnout, compared to nurses without burnout, imagined fewer specific future events, positive events, and events related to relationships and achievement. They also had more omissions. As the level of burnout increased, their impairment in future thinking worsened. Furthermore, the results also revealed that the scores of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment had significant correlations with the proportions of positive events and events related to relationships and achievement/mastery in nurses' future thinking content. Conclusion: The future thinking ability of nurses with burnout was impaired, and this impairment worsened as the symptoms of burnout progressed. The findings of the present study have important implications for nurse caring and advocate effective interventions targeting positive future thinking to mitigate nurses' burnout.