Effect of Work-Family Conflict, Psychological Job Demand, and Job Control on the Health Status of Nurses.

Li-Chung Pien,Kuei-Ru Chou,Li-Chiu Lin,Wan-Ju Cheng

doi:10.3390/ijerph18073540

Abstract

Work–family conflicts (WFCs) are common in the healthcare sector and pose significant health risks to healthcare workers. This study examined the effect of WFCs on the health status and nurses’ leaving intentions in Taiwan. A self-administered questionnaire was used to survey 200 female nurses’ experiences of WFC from a regional hospital. Data on psychosocial work conditions, including work shifts, job control, psychological job demands, and workplace justice, were collected. Health conditions were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II and self-rated health. Leaving intentions were measured using a self-developed questionnaire. The participants’ average work experience was 6.79 (Standard Deviation (SD) = 5.26) years, their highest educational level was university, and work shifts were mostly night and rotating shifts. Approximately 75.5% of nurses perceived high levels of WFCs. Leaving intentions were correlated with WFCs (r = 0.350, p < 0.01) and psychological work demands (r = 0.377, p < 0.01). After adjusting for age, educational level, and work characteristics, high levels of WFCs were associated with poor self-rated health, and depression, but not associated with high leaving intentions. Nurses’ experiences of high levels of WFCs greatly affected their health status.

Highlights

Work–family conflicts (WFCs) are a common problem faced by nursing staff [3,4]
Most female nursing staff working in hospitals have high levels of work–family conflicts (WFCs), which is consistent with the results of previous studies [11,19,29]
Irregular shifts, and high workloads create a high risk of poor selfrated health (SRH)

Summary

Introduction

Statistics of the Taiwan Union of Nurses Association (TUNA), Taiwan and Fujian. Province of China, in September 2020 showed that Taiwan had 180,526 licensed and 170,240 nursing workers, of which 96.5% were women [1]. The nursing work force in Taiwan consists mostly of women. The nursing manpower shortage in Taiwan causes a relatively uneven nurse-to-patient ratio, high work pressure, and high work load, which result in increased overtime and turnover rates. Female workers have to fulfil family household responsibilities in addition to bearing workplace pressure, resulting in conflicts between family and work [1,2]. Work–family conflicts (WFCs) are a common problem faced by nursing staff [3,4]

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Conclusion