Downsizing-initiated job transfer of hospital nurses: how do the job transferees fare?

In this longitudinal panel study, the authors compared the reactions to hospital amalgamation of 66 nurses who had been transferred to a different unit for a downsizing-related reason (bumped/displaced, unit closed, redundancy) with the reactions of 181 nurses who remained on their same unit. Prior to any job transfers, the two groups perceived comparable levels of support and held similar attitudes towards their job and the hospital. Two years later, after job transfers had taken place, transferred nurses perceived significantly lower coworker support. They also reported a significantly greater decrease in organizational commitment than nurses who were not transferred. However, both groups reported a significant decrease between time a and time 2 in perceived organizational support, satisfaction with amount of work and career future, hospital identification, and organization trust. Overall, the results indicate that the downsizing associated with the amalgamation of the hospitals had a highly negative effects not only on those nurses who were transferred because of the downsizing but also on those nurses who remained on their original unit.

Personality traits and self-care in adults awaiting renal transplant.

This article reports the pretransplant findings of the first phase of a three-phase, longitudinal study examining relationships among personality traits and self-care abilities and behaviors of Ontario adults pre- and post-renal transplant. A consortium of Ontario nurse researchers representing three of Ontario's five renal transplant centers conducted this research. All adults on the cadaver transplant lists of 15 Ontario dialysis centers were invited to participate. One hundred ninety-eight adults awaiting renal transplant were enrolled in the study, representing a 70% response rate. A cross-sectional, correlational design was used for the pretransplant phase. Self-report measures with known psychometric properties were used; validity and reliability of the measures were supported by the sample. Data were analyzed using descriptive approaches, correlational analyses, multiple regression, and path analysis. Relationships were supported among selected personality traits, health state and self-care abilities and behaviors. Further research to examine personality traits and health state in relation to adult self-care is warranted.

Self-care of well adult Canadians and adult Canadians with end stage renal disease.

Empirical support for Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory of Nursing [Orem, D.E., 1995. Nursing: Concepts of practice, 5th. ed. Mosby, Toronto] is accumulating. However, little is known about the relative usefulness of the theory with well and chronically ill adults. This research examined multiple relationships deduced from Orem's Theory in 109 well adults and 141 adults with end stage renal disease (ESRD). Relations among personality traits, gender, age, socioeconomic status, self-care agency, and self-care were examined. Qualitative and quantitative differences were evident for the two samples. For example, self-care agency was a stronger predictor of self-care in well adults. Implications for development of disease-specific, mid-range theory are explored.

Predictors of job satisfaction, turnover, and burnout in female and male Jordanian nurses.

As health-care systems undergo significant changes, the phenomena of job satisfaction, turnover, and burnout in nurses are of interest to nursing communities throughout the world. The purpose of this research was to examine these phenomena in a population of Jordanian nurses that is constituted of 25% men. This descriptive correlation study involved a sample of 479 nurses (68% female, 32% male) employed in public and military hospitals in Jordan, representing a 77% response rate to a survey. Significant differences were found between men and women for some of the items measured but not for turnover or burnout. However, regression analyses did demonstrate that selected variables impacted differently on men and women for the 3 outcome measures. Implications for nursing in Jordan are discussed.

Sense of coherence and life satisfaction: patient and spousal adaptation to home dialysis.

OBJECTIVE: This research examined the adaptation of 24 male patients and their spouses to end-stage renal disease and home/self-care dialysis. The research was conceptualized within the T-Double ABCX Model. Selected predictors included sense of coherence (SOC) (the degree to which one feels confident that life's challenges will be comprehensible, manageable, and worthy of a commitment of self), age, and socioeconomic status (SES). SETTING: Eleven of the 22 dialysis centers in the province of Ontario, Canada were invited to participate. Of these 11, seven agreed to participate. SAMPLE: Twenty-eight couples who were using home PD. DESIGN: A descriptive, correlational research design was used with data collected by mailed survey. METHOD: Adaptation, the health outcome of interest, was measured using perceived satisfaction with life (SWL). RESULTS: There was a large, positive relationship between patients' and spouses' SOC and adaptation. However, further analyses challenged the construct validity of the SOC instrument. A small, positive relationship was found between age and adaptation. CONCLUSION: Further research regarding the SOC is required prior to use in nursing practice.

Comparing issues faced by younger and older women with breast cancer.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore issues identified by women with breast cancer to determine if the experiences of women over 60 years of age differed from younger women. Twenty women were interviewed and asked about their experiences with diagnosis and treatment; issues and concerns which presented special challenges for them; whether they were experiencing other health problems in addition to their cancer, as well as who, and what, they found most helpful to them during the experience. Some of the issues specific to older women included: greater hesitation in seeking initial treatment; their strong desires to maintain their independence; and a greater number of health problems being experienced. Findings are relevant to nurses working with seniors diagnosed with breast cancer.

The impact of organizational downsizing on the job satisfaction of nurses.

Professional nurses across Canada are being affected by health reform initiatives designed to deinstitutionalize the health care system. This panel study examined the impact this restructuring has had on nurses' overall job satisfaction as well as their satisfaction with various aspects of their job and work environment. The participants consisted of 345 nurses employed in 3 community hospitals in southwestern Ontario. Hospital downsizing had relatively little effect on overall job satisfaction, satisfaction with kind of work, amount of work, and physical work conditions. However, compared to before the downsizing, nurses reported a significant deterioration in satisfaction with their career future, hospital identification, supervision, and co-workers following the implementation of restructuring initiatives. We discuss the organizational and management implications of these findings and suggest ways that hospital administrators can minimize the negative effects of downsizing on nursing professionals.

The effect of unit type and gender on Jordanian nurses' job satisfaction: a comparison of operating room, medical-surgical, and critical care nurses.

This study examines the quality of nursing work life for men and women in Jordan. Specifically it focuses on similarities and differences across three unit types: operating room, intensive care/critical care, and medical-surgical. Findings suggest that both gender and unit type should be considered when examining nurses' perceptions of the quality of work life.

Job satisfaction, propensity to leave and burnout in RNs and RNAs: a multivariate perspective.

This investigation used a multivariate approach to examine similarities and differences between the job satisfaction, propensity to leave, and burnout of registered nurses (RNs) (n = 623) and registered nursing assistants (RNAs) (n = 231). At best, both groups were only moderately satisfied with their jobs, and there were no significant differences between the groups on the outcome measures of satisfaction, burnout or propensity to leave. However, RNs with more years of work experience reported highest job satisfaction, lowest levels of burnout, and were less likely to leave their positions. None of these variables were related to the length of time RNAs were employed. When comparative analyses were conducted by unit types, RNs in psychiatric settings were least satisfied with their jobs, more likely to leave their positions, and reported more burnout than did RNs in other settings. Implications of the study for interventions and future research are discussed.

Masturbation--beyond myth and taboo.

Masturbation is a common human behavior that impacts nursing in a variety of ways. All too often, nurses find themselves seeking out masturbatory literature after an uncomfortable client encounter for which they were not prepared. The authors examine helpful information about masturbation that nurses may use to care for individuals, families, groups, and communities. The historical context of the values and beliefs associated with masturbation is explores. the notions of "functional" and "dysfunctional" masturbation are proposed and examined. Recommendations for nursing practice, education, theory and research are proposed.

Toward redefining public health nursing in Canada: challenges for education.

Faced with a recent shift from a hospital-based to a community-based health care system, Canadian public health nurses are being challenged to redefine their roles. To empower these nurses to respond effectively, it is imperative that the profession be reclarified as a specialty with a distinct philosophy and mission. Nursing education is key to facilitate this process, and public health nursing educators must lead the way. Certain barriers hinder the response of public health nursing education, and four areas are suggested in which efforts to advance public health nursing may be best directed.

The phenomena of care in Sicilian-Canadian culture: an ethnonursing case study.

This study examined the caring beliefs and behaviors of first- and second-generation Sicilians who immigrated to Canada and now reside in an Ontario metropolitan area. Madeleine Leininger's ethnonursing model of "Cultural Care Diversity and Universality" (1978, 1985, 1988) provided the framework; qualitative information was gained from the perceptions and cognitions of two Sicilian-Canadian families. Emphasis was placed on cultural and social structure dimensions that depicted caring, health beliefs, and related practices. The research questions guiding this inquiry were: a) What care values, care beliefs, and behavior patterns are deemed to promote/preserve well-being in this culture? b) Who provides care in this culture and under what circumstances? Implications for nursing that emerged included: provision of continuity of care, the importance of the involvement of the family, and the development of innovative means to enhance self-care practices to prevent illness and to reduce aversion to the professional healthcare system.

Rebuilding public health nursing practice: a Canadian perspective.

Although the importance of preventive services has been emphasized in Canada, the status of public health nursing appears to be in jeopardy. Major challenges confront the profession, and certain strategies may help to rebuild it as a broad-based nursing specialty.

Relaxation therapy and guided imagery in ESRD.

This article explores the efficacy of using relaxation techniques and guided imagery to enhance patient adjustment to end stage renal disease and dialysis. The theoretical bases of this intervention are examined briefly, related nursing research reviewed, a patient case study presented, and recommendations for nursing practice and research proposed.