Work Experience Research Articles

Factors Related to Evidence-Based Practices Among Mental Health Nurses in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Despite the robustness of evidence-based practice in increasing efficiency in nursing care and improving patient safety, using evidence in practice is still rare in mental health nursing. This correlational descriptive research aimed to explore the factors and examine the relationship between attitudes, knowledge/skills, organizational culture, mentorship, and demographic factors to evidence-based practices among mental health nurses working in psychiatric hospitals in Thailand. The sample consisted of 255 nurses working in psychiatric hospitals under the Thai Department of Mental Health, located in service units across the country's four regions. The data collection tools included (1) a demographic questionnaire, (2) the Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire: EBPQ, (3) Organizational Culture & Readiness for System-wide Integration of Evidence-Based Practice: OCRSIEP, and (4) the Evidence-Based Practice Mentorship Scale. Descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. The findings revealed that the factors positively correlated with evidence-based practice among mental health nurses in Thailand were attitude with a mean score of 4.90 (r = 0.39, p-value < 0.001), knowledge/skills with a mean score of 4.69 (r = 0.61, p-value < 0.001), organizational culture with a mean score of 3.94 (r = 0.26, p-value < 0.001), and mentorship with a mean score of 2.77 (r = 0.16, p-value = 0.011). Demographic factors such as educational level (r = 0.21, p-value < 0.001) and work experience in psychiatric and mental health nursing (r = 0.14, p-value = 0.031) were also positively correlated. This research revealed that EBP knowledge and skills are the most significant factors related to evidence-based practice among Thai mental health nurses. Therefore, EBP knowledge and skills should be enhanced in the curriculum during the nursing study and through continuing education once nurses graduate. Organizational culture and mentorship also need to be promoted to strengthen the use of EBP in Thailand.

SUBSTANTIATION OF THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARD OF "PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINER" IN UKRAINE

Professional staff is needed for the effective functioning of health fitness. There are no professional standards for fitness staff in Ukraine, so there is no single standardized approach to determining the list of job functions, general and special competencies, the required knowledge, skills and practical abilities. The purpose of the study is to substantiate and develop a professional standard of "Personal Fitness Trainer" taking into account international experience. Methods: analysis and generalization of scientific and methodical literature, pedagogical observation, functional analysis, documentary method, method of expert evaluations, methods of mathematical statistics. Results. The development of a professional standard for "Personal Fitness Trainer" was based on regulatory acts and the algorithm formed for the health fitness system. There have been identified 60 necessary labor actions which ensure the performance of 9 labor functions of a fitness trainer. The professional standard takes into account the needs of employers, consumer requirements and will be the basis for the industry standard of higher education in the relevant specialty. Conclusions. The developed professional standard for "Personal fitness trainer" is relevant, complies with regulatory acts and established algorithm, adapted to the system of fitness. The expediency of developing a professional standard "Personal fitness trainer" was based on the study of the actual state and prospects of application of fitness staff. The professional standard provides requirements for the content and quality of professional activity; list of general competencies; requirements for the level of qualification, medical contraindications to work, work experience, level of education of a fitness trainer; a list of labor functions and labor actions and the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities; list of subjects and means of work and definition of professional competencies, etc. The professional standard "Personal fitness trainer" should be the basis for the industry standard of higher education in the relevant specialty.

“Do I feel safe here?” Organisational climate and mental health peer worker experience

BackgroundIn Australia, lived experience peer support workforces are expanding making it one of the fastest growing emerging disciplines in transdisciplinary mental health settings. This article provides insight for organisations on the contextual realities peer workers face, increases understanding of peer support services to improve service delivery environments and contributes to mental health systems reform. This study aimed to qualitatively explore peer support workers experience integrating into and working within transdisciplinary mental health service teams.MethodSemi-structured interviews were undertaken with 18 peer support workers currently working in mental health services in Australia. The research was a qualitative descriptive study design. All data collected were analysed utilising thematic analysis.ResultsPeer workers found their experience in the workplace was influenced by their colleagues and the organisation’s understanding of the peer role. Factors relating to organisational culture and climate were a central theme throughout discussions noting that a negative climate was perceived as harmful to peer workers. Themes established through results include (1) the role of leadership, (2) attitudes and behaviours of colleagues, (3) provision of psychologically safe environments, (4) the organisations messaging and use of language and (5) organisational structures and policy.ConclusionThis study contributes to evidence for the impact of organisational culture on integrating and supporting peer support workers in mental health service delivery. This study provides insights into peer worker experiences integrating into transdisciplinary teams, confirming findings established in previous studies, highlighting a lack of movement or change in workplace culture to support peer worker integration into mental healthcare settings.

Exploring worker subjectivity: shaping industrial and organizational psychology in post-apartheid South Africa

This article critically evaluates the role of industrial–organizational psychology in post-apartheid South Africa, advocating for a transformative framework that addresses the socio-political and historical inequalities in the workplace. The article highlights how industrial–organizational psychology has traditionally focused on organizational efficiency, often aligned with capitalist interests, while overlooking the socio-historical forces shaping worker experiences, particularly related to race, gender, and class. By introducing the concept of worker subjectivity, the article calls for a reimagined industrial–organizational psychology that integrates critical perspectives from psychology and management studies to better understand how workers navigate their identities and agency within broader socio-political structures. The author emphasizes the need to address the emotional and psychological dimensions of worker experiences, especially in the South African context marked by the legacies of colonialism and apartheid. By focusing on worker subjectivity, industrial–organizational psychology can move beyond traditional quantitative methods and engage with the complexities of workplace inequality. This approach aligns industrial–organizational psychology with the broader mission of the Psychological Society of South Africa to promote socially just and inclusive practices. The article also calls for interdisciplinary collaboration and the reformation of industrial–organizational psychology education to better equip practitioners with the tools needed to address the realities of post-apartheid workplaces.

Survey of GP registrars' training experience and confidence in managing children and adolescents with mental health conditions in primary care.

The aim of thisstudy is to assess General Practitioner (GP) trainees' training experience, and confidence in assessing and managing children and adolescents with common mental health conditions in primary care in Ireland. An online anonymous questionnaire was distributed to third and fourth year GP registrars enrolled in the Irish College of General Practitioners training schemes. The online questionnaire evaluated participants' training experiences and confidence levels in key areas of child and adolescent mental health in primary care. Sixty participants completed the survey out of 406, yielding a response rate of 14.8%. The majority (88%) reported no formal training or experience working in Child and Adolescent Mental Healthcare Services (CAMHS) during their GP training scheme. Responses indicated that many participants rated their competency, skills, and knowledge in essential areas of Child and Adolescent Mental Health as needing improvement. Similarly, their awareness of referral pathways and specialty services was below expectations, with poor perceived access to services. A large proportion (91.7%) expressed a definite need for further training in child and adolescent mental health disorders. The results highlight the need for enhanced training and support for GP trainees in the field of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, ensuring their ability to effectively and confidently address these common issues in primary care.

Performance Environment Parallels: How Community Sport Coaches and Youth Workers Can Model Practice to Improve Young Peoples’ Life Skills and Prosocial Behaviours

Whilst both community sport coaches and youth workers use sport and physical activity to assist young peoples’ development, there is a lack of research related to any best practice that both fields may share. This study explored, through semi-structured interviews with eight workers with experience in both community sport and youth work, how practitioners identified best practice and interactions between the two fields relative to the use of sport. Results demonstrated that, when contextually applied, there are a number of significant parallels that can be drawn between the fields of performance sport coaching and youth work/community sport coaching.

Casually cynical or trapped? Exploring gig workers’ reactions to psychological contract violation

PurposeDrawing on psychological contract (PC) theory and platform labor research, the purpose of our study was to explore gig workers’ reactions to perceived PC violation. Our study was set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought workplace health and safety issues into much sharper focus, even in nonstandard employment arrangements like gig work.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a mixed-methods design. In Study 1, we tested a conceptual model of US-based ride-hail drivers’ (n = 202) affective and cognitive reactions to Uber’s (lack of) commitment to safe working conditions. In Study 2, we conducted interviews with 32 platform workers to further explore an unexpected finding from Study 1.FindingsIn Study 1, we found that drivers’ perceptions of PC violation were related to decreased trust in Uber and higher intentions to leave this line of work; however, cynicism toward Uber only predicted withdrawal intentions for those drivers who did not believe that they had job alternatives available outside of gig work. We explored this further in Study 2, where we found that workers with low economic dependence on gig work could afford to be casually cynical toward the platform, while high-dependence workers felt “trapped” in this line of work.Originality/valueWe contribute to the social/relational theoretical approach to gig work more broadly and to the literature on PC in platform work more specifically. We also add to the emerging literature on how economic dependence shapes workers’ experience of platform work. Our findings around low-dependence gig workers experiencing a more indifferent form of cynicism – which we have termed casual cynicism – highlight the importance of treating the context of gig work as unique, not merely an extension of traditional management research.

Revolutionizing nurse well-being: Virtual reality as a stress relief intervention.

This article describes an 8-week pilot project implementing virtual reality (VR) technology as a stress relief intervention for nurses at a rural hospital. It highlights how VR allowed nurses to temporarily disconnect from their stressful work environment and experience calming virtual scenarios during break times.

Perspective of Midwives in Turkey Regarding Sexual Health Literacy and Sexual Healthcare Services.

This study aimed to examine the factors associated with the level of sexual health literacy of midwives and their views on sexual healthcare. This is a descriptive and correlational study. A total of 324 midwives with at least 1 year of professional experience and at least a bachelor's degree participated in the study. Data were collected with the "Midwife Information Form" and "Sexual Health Literacy Scale." The professional work experience, marital status, and education related to sexual health did not affect the sexual health literacy of midwives. Age, educational status, and voluntary choice of the profession willingly affected sexual health literacy. The sexual health literacy of midwives who hold positive views on sexuality and sexual healthcare services is higher. The midwives' perspectives on sexual health, their level of knowledge, and the sexual health education they receive impact the quality of care they provide. Sexual and reproductive health should be emphasized within the scope of midwifery education.

Comparison of the Achieved and Expected Competence Level of New Graduate Nurses: Two Cross-Sectional Studies.

To explore and compare the self-perceived competence level of new graduate nurses with the expected competence level that nurse managers believe new graduate nurses should have in general. Two cross-sectional empirical studies. Two independent cross-sectional studies were carried out in 12 tertiary hospitals in September 2020 and November 2021, respectively. Participants were 1017 new graduate nurses with less than 2 years of work experience and 306 nurse managers who completed an online survey. The score of self-perceived nursing competence of new graduate nurses was 74.77 ± 14.35, and the expectation of nurse managers was 74.21 ± 15.04. The values of 18 items were significantly different between the two of them (p < 0.05), and there were only three items showed higher expectations of nurse managers than the self-rated values of new graduate nurses. Results of latent profile analysis revealed that this cohort of new graduate nurses could be divided into three subgroups, named risky competent (11.1%), medium competent (46.0%) and advanced competent (42.9%). When comparing, the nurse managers' expected competence level was between the value of 'medium competent' group and 'advanced competent' group. Our study adopted a dual perspective comparison of nurse managers and new graduate nurses, which broke through the limitations of the previous single perspective study of new graduate nurses' nursing competence. This study highlights the importance of the consistency in new graduate nurses' nursing competence from the perspectives of new graduate nurses and nurse managers. This study showed a generally good match of actual nursing competence level of new graduate nurses and the expected level from nurse managers. While there was significant individual heterogeneity in the competence score of new graduate nurses, three subgroups were identified through the individual-centred analysis of latent profile analysis. Therefore, Nurse managers need to systematically adjust the standardized training programs and teaching methods for new graduate nurses according to the population characteristics and take precise interventions to improve nursing competence of new graduate nurses. We adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. No Patient or Public Contribution.

Analyzing the impact of work meaningfulness on turnover intentions and job satisfaction: A self-determination theory perspective

Abstract While employees actively seek out workplaces that offer meaningful work experiences, the concept of meaningful work remains notably underexplored within the turnover literature. The present study addresses this gap by examining the role of work meaningfulness among knowledge workers and its direct and indirect effects on turnover intentions and job satisfaction through the lens of self-determination theory. Our findings show significant effects on turnover intentions and job satisfaction, with work meaningfulness emerging as a stronger predictor of job satisfaction, while still contributing to reducing turnover intentions. Most extant literature focuses on sources and ways to enhance work meaningfulness. We contribute to more recent research on its relationship with its outcomes especially the link with turnover intentions, offering insight into a relationship that has produced few, but conflicting,results.

Pandemic scars: long-term impact of COVID-19 on work stress among healthcare workers in China.

This study mainly focused on the long-term effect of different risk exposure levels and prior anti-epidemic experience of healthcare workers in mitigating COVID-19 on their work stress in the post-COVID era. The study sample included 359 physicians, 619 nurses, 229 technicians and 212 administrators, for a total of 1,419 healthcare workers working in the Lanzhou area during the investigation. Data were analyzed by multivariate regression models. Our findings indicated that the interaction between pandemic effect mitigation experience and high-risk exposure significantly affected healthcare workers in the post-COVID era by increasing their work stress (p<0.001) and reducing their rest time (p<0.001). Healthcare workers may have experienced worse outcomes in the long term if they had higher levels of risk exposure and more experience in fighting epidemics. Furthermore, poor mental health (p<0.001) and prior experience with SARS (p<0.001) further amplified these adverse effects. However, surprisingly, we did not observe any effect of prior anti-epidemic experience or high-risk exposure on the mental health of healthcare workers in the post-COVID era (p>0.1). The adverse impact of COVID-19 may have left long-lasting effects on Health professionals (HPs), particularly those with high Risk exposure (RE) and more mitigation experience. Poor Mental health (MH) and previous experience in mitigating previous similar outbreaks (such as SARS) are risk factors that should be considered. Support programs must be designed and promoted to help HPs respond and improve their performance. Our study presents compelling evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic will have long-term detrimental effects on the work stress of healthcare workers.

Decision Support System for Permanent Employee Selection at PT XYZ with Moora Method

Using the multi-objective optimization method based on ratio analysis (MOORA), the purpose of this research is to develop a decision support system that will help the selection process of permanent employees at PT XYZ. In order to improve the productivity and operational efficiency of the company, a proper employee selection process is essential. Nonetheless, many factors influence the decision taken, which is often subjective. Therefore, a systematic approach is needed to help managers assess and select potential employees based on predefined standards. The MOORA method was chosen because it is able to provide optimal solutions for a variety of different criteria. The identification of employee selection criteria, the collection of employee candidate data, and the use of the MOORA method to generate employee candidate rankings are all actions performed in this study. The criteria used include work experience, education The purpose of this research is to create a system that supports the process, skills, and attitudes in decision making. The results of this system show that MOORA has the ability to provide more objective and transparent recommendations in the employee selection process than conventional methods. The results of the analysis show that this system helps decision making and increases managers' confidence in choosing employees who match the company's needs. PT XYZ hopes to use this decision support system to reduce errors in the employee selection process and help achieve the company's strategic goals. It is hoped that this research will help the process of developing decision support systems in the field of human resources.

“I always have to look attractive, but nobody cares on what I feel”: Aesthetic labor on Sales Promotion Girl (SPG)

Aesthetic labor is a job that involves the display of aesthetic body appearance and emotions by the workers. Aesthetic labor practices are performed by service workers who interact directly with customers, including Sales Promotion Girls (SPGs). This qualitative research aims to reveal how aesthetic labor practices are carried out by SPGs and what burdens that they carry. A total of 10 SPG informants who have at least one year of work experience were involved. This research found that SPGs always have to maintain their body appearances and emotions to attract customers’ attention and convince them to make purchases. They even spend money to maintain their body appearances, such as for buying healthy foods, cosmetics, skincare products, and going to the salon. SPGs are also expected to always display positive emotions in any situation. Furthermore, SPGs often experience sexual harassment at the workplace. It can be concluded that while performing aesthetic labor practices, SPGs actually experience the practices of being a docile body too. In addition, SPGs have a double burden, namely physical and emotional burdens, in doing their jobs. However, there are still many who underestimate SPGs and ignore the difficulty they face as aesthetic labor workers.

Healthcare leadership practice and associated factors among primary healthcare managers in East Gojam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: a mixed method study

BackgroundLeadership plays a critical role in the delivery of person centered, safe, efficient, and effective healthcare services globally. Poor healthcare leadership contributes to low staff motivation, patient dissatisfaction, and reduced healthcare-seeking behavior. However, there is limited evidence on healthcare leadership practice and associated factors among primary healthcare managers in the study area and at large in Ethiopia. Therefore, the findings of this study will contribute to improved healthcare leadership practices among primary healthcare managers.MethodFacility-based cross-sectional study supplemented with qualitative inquiry was conducted in the East Gojam zone among 532 primary healthcare managers selected by a two-stage stratified random sampling technique. A pre-tested and structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the quantitative data. Data were entered into Epi-Data version 4.6 and exported into Stata version 14.0 for analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with healthcare leadership practice, and statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05 with a 95% CI. Six key informant interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis was used for the qualitative study.ResultThe magnitude of healthcare leadership practice among primary healthcare managers in the East Gojam zone was 45.7% (95% CI: (41.4, 50.0)). Factors associated with healthcare leadership practice were age [β = 0.44, 95% CI: (0.16, 0.71)], training in healthcare leadership practice [β = 1.19, 95% CI: (0.19, 2.20)], experience sharing [β = 1.68, 95% CI: (0.59, 2.76)], organizational communication [β = 0.19, 95% CI: (0.05, 0.33)], managerial working experience [β = 0.94, 95% CI: (0.18, 1.69)] and emotional intelligence [β = 0.35, 95% CI: (0.31, 0.38)].Conclusion and recommendationThe magnitude of healthcare leadership practice among primary healthcare managers in the East Gojam zone was low as compared with a previous study in Ethiopia. It was significantly associated with age, training in leadership, experience sharing, organizational communication, managerial working experience, and emotional intelligence. Thus, human resource managers at primary healthcare level should consider older and more experienced candidates during assigning managers, organize training on healthcare leadership and experience sharing with model managers to improve the leadership practice of primary healthcare managers in the East Gojam zone.

Seeing the Forest for the Trees: The role of Growth-Oriented Leadership in Shaping Public Servants’ Work Experiences in the Post-NPM Environment

In recent years, growth-oriented leadership (GOL) has come to the fore as a salient predictor of positive employee outcomes in public sector contexts. This empirical paper examines the role of GOL in shaping perceptions of quantitative demands as a product of an evolved New Public Management (NPM) context and the subsequent impact on stress and well-being for 419 local government employees working in Western Australia. While latent in previous GOL-oriented studies, this paper is the first to explore the intersection of GOL and quantitative demands, noting that the former has an established positive effect on employee wellbeing, and the opposite case for the latter. Drawing on the challenge-hindrance framework, this article argues that GOL helps to shape employees’ primary appraisals of demands as challenges, rather than hindrances, in the post-NPM environment. The results indicate strong, direct negative relationships linking GOL with quantitative demands and stress, and a strong positive relationship between GOL and well-being. This study establishes GOL as a relevant capability for public leaders in supporting employees to deal effectively with public service demands and subsequently grow. Understanding how leadership capability, and particularly GOL, can shape the employee experience is important in ensuring the effective delivery of public services.

Emergence of Artificial Intelligence on Projected U.S. Employment

The recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) and its rapid integration into various aspects of life have become a focal point of concern, especially in regards to potential consequences on the workforce. Since AI has seen the most transformation post-2020, this study aims to analyze the role of AI exposure within an occupation on projected 10-year changes in employment using the most recent available data from 2022 (pulled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Through forward selection in ordinary least squares method, after controlling for task offshorability, education, work experience, and on-the-job training, it was found that a 1 standard deviation increase in AI exposure index is associated with a projected decrease of 1.043 percentage points in jobs on average within an occupation. This finding supports the growing concern of AI-driven job displacement and/or unemployment, which could heighten the burden on the government to fund welfare programs and potentially lead to recession. This paper further highlights the need for policy discussions on fostering a more balanced integration of AI into the workforce, possibly through specialized education and retraining programs.

Rethinking economic socialization: the intersection of culture, gender and economic life in a religious enclave

Abstract This article explores how economic socialization serves as a bridge between individual economic behaviors and the broader social and cultural contexts that shape them. Drawing on a post-functionalist approach to socialization, the study examines the ultra-Orthodox Jewish (Haredi) community in Israel, where distinct gender roles, cultural norms and patterns of economic participation create a unique context for investigating divergent economic socialization pathways. Comparing four groups within the Haredi community—average/below-average and high-income women, men with work experience, and men who study at religious seminaries (Yeshiva/Kollel)—analysis of an original survey study reveals how differential exposure to economic life leads to significant variations in financial risk-taking, loss-aversion, financial literacy and competitiveness. The findings problematize explanations attributing economic gender gaps to innate differences, instead highlighting the profound impact of the cultural framing of gender roles vis-à-vis economic integration. By foregrounding economic socialization as a sociological phenomenon, the study contributes to discourses on culture’s role in economic behavior and opens new avenues for examining how individuals acquire economic dispositions through socialization pathways shaped by structural constraints and power relations.

Perceptions towards practicability of humanitarian principles for emergency cases in Ethiopia: case of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital

IntroductionThe health of people is negatively impacted by emergencies and catastrophes, and many lives are lost as a result. The guidelines for humanitarian action during times of crisis, whether brought on by armed war or natural disasters, are provided by the humanitarian principles. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how the staff and clients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital felt about the applicability of the four humanitarian principles when responding to emergency conditions.MethodologyFacility-based descriptive and explanatory cross-sectional study designs were employed. The study intended to collect data with structured questionnaires from a total of 209 individuals in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. The participants were selected randomly based on, their willingness. Of the 209 participants, 105 included staff and the rest 104 included clients (patients and caregivers in the emergency room) of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 23.ResultsThe descriptive analysis shows that principles of humanity are practiced better with (mean = 3.5) and principles of impartiality are practiced less with (mean = 3.2) as to the perception of the participants. Correlational analysis was used to examine the relationship between the ages, profession, gender, status, work experience, and familiarity with humanitarian principles, and the results indicated a non-significant correlation between variables, r (209) = 0.01 (2 tailored), “p = ns”. This suggests that familiarity with humanitarian principles or other independent variables does not affect the applicability of humanitarian principles in healthcare settings.ConclusionFrom the results of this study, it can be concluded that the state of being a staff (health care practitioners and those providing ancillary services) and client of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Teaching Hospital has nothing to do with developing a certain perception towards the practicability of the four humanitarian principles (humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence).

Collaborations to Support the SJ4A Curriculum in Archival Studies and Social Justice Intersections: Training of Community-Embedded Paraprofessional Archivists Who Are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color

The Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program recently awarded a $463,238 grant titled “Training of Community-Embedded Social Justice Archivists” (SJ4A) to the School of Library and Information Studies atthe University of Alabama. The grant’s goal is to recruit/train 17 community-embedded paraprofessional archivists who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color to complete their master’s degree part-time from January 2023 – December 2024 in the SLIS’ synchronous distance education program. SJ4A meets an urgent need to diversify the professions and for archivists to apply social justice competencies in work experience and community-embedded practice with graduate instruction and curriculum support. This paper identifies ongoing collaborations to support curriculum development in the SJ4A phases, including recruitment of students,needs assessment of archives-related professionals about social justice services, implementation of educational activities, mentoring, evaluation of program outcomes, dissemination of results, and post-graduation career tracking.