Work environment and nurse outcomes: a secondary analysis from the RN4CAST@IT study

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Nursing care in cardiology requires advanced skills, continuity of care and global care of the chronic patient. The relationship with the patient requires a psychological and moral commitment which, combined with time-pressure and high workloads, increases the risk of negatively impacting nurses' well-being. Emotional exhaustion in nurses has negative consequences on care, therefore nursing leaders should monitor this outcome and ensure that its incidence is limited. Purpose To test the relationship between the nursing working environment and emotional exhaustion among nurses in cardiology wards. Methods The data are drawn from the database of the larger study, RN4CAST@IT. This was a multi-center and multi-level study. A convenience sample of nurses providing bedside care was included. For the analyses presented here, the data relating to nurses working in Cardiology wards were extracted. The data were collected through a web survey between September and December 2015. The questionnaire investigated several topics about nursing staff including nurse-patient ratios, skill mix, working environment measured with PES-NWI, and emotional exhaustion with the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to describe the sample and variables taken into consideration; a binomial logistic regression model was built to test the relationships between the dependent variable “high Emotional Exhaustion;' and the independent variables “PES-NWI composite score”, “workload” and “skill mix”. Results Responses by 291 cardiology nurses were analysed. Binary logistic regression, adjusted for skill mix and staffing, showed that, better working environment conditions reduced the risk that nurses working in the cardiology develop high Emotional Exhaustion by 96% (OR 0.038; 95% CI 0.011–0.136). Conclusions Considering the relationship that these analyses have shown between a favourable working environment, capable of involving professionals, of providing adequate resources and leadership, and the risk that professionals may develop a high level of emotional exhaustion, we need to reflect how it impacts on patients. These results are the starting point for analysing the organization of clinical contexts, with their peculiarities, to make them more and more suitable for people, both patients and professionals. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None