Job Seniority Research Articles

“Occupational exposure to charcoal smoke and dust, a major risk factor for COPD: a multiregional cross-sectional study in the Democratic Republic of Congo”

Occupational exposure to charcoal smoke and dust is a threat to workers respiratory system. What is the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in charcoal workers as compared to farmers in rural areas of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)? This cross-sectional, comparative, and multi-site study was performed in the charcoal-producing provinces of South-Western DRC. We randomly included charcoal workers and compared them to farmers (18 to 70 years old). Air quality indexes, anthropometric, physical activity, sociodemographic characteristics, and related medical events data were recorded. A Lung function questionnaire was used to assess respiratory symptoms (RS) and spirometry was performed. COPD was defined as the presence of RS for more than 3 months with a FEV1/FVC ratio below the lower limit of normal. The prevalence of COPD was calculated, and logistic regression was used to identify COPD-associated factors. We included 485 subjects between August 2020 and July 2021. Charcoal Producers (CP, n = 229) were compared with farmers (n = 118), and charcoal saleswomen (CS, n = 72) were compared to vegetable saleswomen (VS, n = 66). Respective groups were similar in age, job seniority, height, and weight. The air was more polluted at charcoal workplaces. The prevalence of COPD was higher in CP than in farmers (39.7% vs 14.4%; P < 0.0001), and in CS compared to VS (40.3% vs 13.6%; P < 0.0001). Being a charcoal worker was independently associated with COPD in the CP and farmers group: adjusted OR, 3.54 (95% CI, 1.94-6.46), and, in the saleswomen group: 7.85 (95% CI, 2.85-21.5), where it was also independently associated with young age: 0.85 (0.80-0.93) and monthly income: 0.88 (0.83-0.96). In rural areas of DRC, producing or selling charcoal is associated with a higher risk of COPD.

Epidemiological profile of long-term leave for psychiatric illnesses

IntroductionLong-term leave for psychiatric illness is the most frequently prescribed reason for leave, and appears to be on the increase in recent years.ObjectivesTo draw up a sociodemographic, occupational and clinical profile of workers who have taken long-term sick leave for psychiatric illnessMethodsRetrospective descriptive study involving the medical files of workers from both the public and private sectors, having benefited from long-term sick leave over a period going from August 17, 2022 to September 12, 2023, referred to the occupational medicine and pathology department of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis for medical fitness-for-work assessment. Data collection was based on a pre-established synoptic form.Results During the study period, we identified 639 long-term sick leave prescribed for psychiatric illnesses. Our study population was predominantly female, with a sex ratio of 0.29 and a mean age of 46.82 ± 25.06 years. Sixty percent of employees were married. The most represented occupational category was nurses (33%). Average job seniority was 17.21±10.41 years. Depressive syndrome was the most common psychiatric pathology in our population (80.3%), followed by bipolar disorder (6.4%) and anxiety disorder (5%). Long-term sick leave was prescribed by a psychiatrist working in the private sector in 90.3% of cases. The average duration of leave was 63.70±31.58 days. The triggering factor was work-related and social in 33.6% and 30.1% of cases respectively. The agents returned to work after the long-term sick leave in 92% of cases.ConclusionsLong-term sick leave for psychiatric reasons is a handicap to productivity in society. Non-occupational factors are thought to be responsible for these mental health disorders. Setting up and improving social structures in the workplace would reduce the number of cases of long-term sick leaveDisclosure of InterestNone Declared

Deafness and depression in the workplace: is there an association?

IntroductionChronic exposure to damaging noise can lead to hearing loss . People suffering from hearing problems find it increasingly difficult to communicate and become withdrawn. This lack of contact can lead to the onset of anxiodepressive disorders .ObjectivesTo study the epidemiological and clinical particularities of hearing loss in patients with psychoaffective disorders.To study the impact of this association on the medical aptitude for work.MethodsRetrospective descriptive study of depressive patients with hearing loss who consulted the Occupational Medicine Department at Charles Nicolle Hospital over a six-year period from January 2016 to November 2022.ResultsOut of 150 patients with hearing loss who consulted our service, 10 patients had an axio-dépressive disorder . Seven were men and three were women. The mean age was 43 ± 5 years and the mean job seniority was 11 years [3-20]. they belonged to the telecommunications (n=6), industry (n=2), printing(n=1), and transport sectors (n=1) . The job positions were : teleconsultant (n=6), operator machine (n=3) and driver (n=1) the symptoms presented by the patients were hearing loss (n=4), otalgia (n=1) , diziness (n=1), tinnitus(n=1) . The average time to onset of symptoms was 13±8 years [1-35] . The hearing deficits presented by the patients were: sensorineural hearing loss (n=7), mixed hearing loss (n=1) and conductive hearing loss (n=2). The mean of Hearing loss were 34±9 dB in the right ear and 34±6 dB in the left ear . A declaration of the deafness as an occupational disease was indicated in two of the cases. the univariate statistical study showed that anxiety-depressive disorders were associated with tinnitus (p=0,036,OR=4,2[0,99-17,659]) and the position of teleconsultant (p=0,009,OR=5,622[1,338-23,627] . Eviction from exposition to noise was indicated in seven casesConclusionsAccording to our study, hearing loss in patients with anxio-depressice disordes is associated with tinnitus and teleconsultant job position . Early screening early screening of people at risk is recommended.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Difficulties in assessing the medical fitness of workers with mood disorders : A study of 101 cases

IntroductionAssessing the medical fitness of workers with mood disorders remains a topical issue, because of its organizational, socioeconomic and professional impact.ObjectivesTo assess the medical and occupational characteristics of workers with mood disorders.To evaluate the impact of these psychiatric disorders on the medical decision of fitness for work.MethodsDescriptive and retrospective study, over six years (January 1, 2018 to August 30, 2023) including all medical records of workers with mood disorders (bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, and depression), referred to the occupational department of the Charles-Nicolle Hospital in Tunis for a medical fitness for work.ResultsThe study included 101 patients, mostly female (sex ratio = 0.4), with a mean age of 43.3 ± 9.2 years. The most represented sector of activity was health care. The participants were mainly nurses (25%), followed by technicians (22%) and workers (21%). The mean job seniority was 16.5 ± 9.3 years. A pathological history was found in 74.3% of cases, of which 47.5% were psychiatric disorders. Mood disorders identified in our population were: bipolar disorder (53.5%), anxiety disorder (43.5%), and depression (3%). After medical examination and the decision of treating physician, 39% of the patients (N=39) were declared fit for work, and 31.4% (N=32) were fit with ergonomic adjustments. These accomodations consisted mainly of night shift exemptions in 75% of cases. Temporary unfitness was declared in 24 patients (23.6%). Job mutation was recommended for four patients. Early retirement due to invalidity was proposed for two patients.ConclusionsThe decision on the medical fitness of workers with psychiatric disorders remains a delicate issue that requires the attention of both legislators and occupational health practitioners.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Occupational risk perception of construction workers: a cross sectional study.

Construction workers are often exposed to significant injury risk. The aim of our study is to assess their occupational hazards and injury risk perception. We administered 256 questionnaires to construction workers. The survey was aimed at collecting information regarding occupational risk and hazard exposure perception, risk control and behavioral self-assessment. We analyzed the data obtained in order to highlight any associations between injury risk perception and anamnestic, occupational, behavioral or perceptual factors. Participants were prevalently males (92.37%) aged 21-60 years (94%). They showed a job seniority level of 21.3 (11.51) on average and, ranging from a 1 to 10 score, a danger awareness of 6.8 (2.9), a lack of prevention measures 6.0 (3.3), an improper behavior of 7.3 (2.7), an unpredictable fate of 6.0 (2.9). These factors resulted significantly associated with the injury risk perception. Multivariable analysis highlighted that the injury risk perception was associated with the lack of prevention measure and unpredictable fate. On the other hand, we found a negative association with the workers' improper behaviors. Workers' perception showed fairly uniform average values even when occupational risk was demonstrated. Our analysis suggests a positive correlation between injury risk perception and the idea that injuries are due both to fate and to chance; it also shows a negative correlation between injury risk perception and the idea that injuries are due to improper behavior. A lack of fully comparable studies confirms the need for further studies on the injury risk perception of construction workers.

Does education prevent job loss during downturns? Evidence from exogenous school assignments and COVID-19 in Barbados

Canonical human capital theories posit that education, by enhancing worker skills, reduces the likelihood that a worker will be laid-off during times of economic change. Yet, this has not been demonstrated causally. We link administrative education records from 1987 through 2002 to nationally representative surveys conducted before and after the COVID-19 onset in Barbados to explore the causal impact of improved education on job loss during this period. Using a regression discontinuity design, we show that females (but not males) who score just above the admission threshold for more selective secondary schools attain more years of education than those who scored just below (essentially holding initial ability fixed). We then find that these same females are much less likely to have lost a job after the onset of COVID-19. We show that these effects are not driven by labor supply decisions, selection into more resilient sectors and occupations, the ability to telework, job seniority, health status, fertility or access to child care, or improved social networks. Because employers observe incumbent worker productivity, these patterns are inconsistent with pure education signaling and suggest that education enhances worker skill.

Job burnout among polish nurses - influence of mobbing and coping with stress

Mobbing behaviours at workplaces and occupational burnout have negative impacts on the working and private lives. Mobbing, irrespective of its intensity, represents one of the most significant stressors and often leads to an irreversible psycho-deterioration of an individual. Overcoming a stressful situation at work requires specifying the methods for coping with stress resulting in job burnout. Job burnout is a complex syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment. The aim of these study was to analyze interrelationships between mobbing, coping with stress and job burnout among nurses.The study included 86 nurses of various specialties, who gave their consent to participate in the project, were examined. The average age of the nurses was 37.7 years, and the average job seniority was 12.6 years. The study were conducted in 2019-2020 in hospitals of Southern Poland. and was based on the following instruments: Sociodemographic survey, The Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ), COPE Inventory and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).The presented studies showed a statistically significant and consistent relationship between the intensity of perceived mobbing in nurses and the results obtained on the scale of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. A relationship was found between the preference for some specific stress management strategies and job burnout level, also after adjustment for the mobbing intensity, age and seniority of the respondents, thus empirically confirming a multifaceted nature of the unfavorable phenomena related to the work of a nurse.It was found that there is interrelationships between mobbing, coping with stress and job burnout among nurses.

P124: Side-rails as a measure of physical restraint. Perception of healthcare professionals belonging to Nursing Department. GERBAR study.

Objective:The use of side-rails from the headboard to the foot of both sides of the bed (from now on “the rails”) is the most used tool to prevent falls in our hospital setting. However, its consideration as physical restraint in the different international consensus is not clear. In the GERBAR study (NCT04861025), we intend to evaluate the perception of the rails as a measure of physical restraint, both by hospitalized users and by the health personnel who care for them. The trial is being performed at the Consorci Sanitari Alt Penedes-Garraf, CSAPG (Barcelona, Spain). In this report we show partial results of the data obtained from the health personnel belonging to Nursing Department.Methods:An online poll has been carried out through the intranet and corporate emails in the last two months of 2022. All the people who works as health personnel at the CSAPG (1652 people) have been invited to this poll.Results:We obtained a total of 246 responses, of which 27 responses have been removed for not being completed correctly. 152 responses were made by health personnel attached to the Nursing Department: 72 auxiliary nursing personnel (15.38% of the total CSAPG professionals in this professional group) and 80 nurses (14.47%). Proportion of job seniority greater than two years was 74.34% (69.44% auxiliary personnel, 78.75% nurses). 91.67% have been women with a median age of 40.87 years. 46.40% of this sample does not considered the rails as physical restraints (50% auxiliary personnel and 41.25% nurses). When analyzing by job seniority, 48.72% of the professionals with &lt;2 years of seniority does not consider the rails as a physical restraint (44.25% in those with &gt;=2 years). Professional group and job seniority were not significantly associated with perception of the rails as a physical restraint (chi-square 1.17, p 0.2793 for professional group and chi-square 0.23, p 0.6288 for job seniority).Conclusion:An important proportion of health professional belonging to Nursing Department does not consider the rails as a physical restraint. This perception was not related to the professional group or job seniority.

Differences of motivation profile of public sector employees in Israel depending on age and job seniority

The problem of differences of labour motivation in public sector institutions in Israel is discussed in relation to the age and job seniority of the employees. The motivation structure of public sector employees is presented from the perspective of the 12-factor motivation theory developed by Sh. Ritchi and P. Martin. The concept of labour motivation has been viewed from different perspectives, and key factors of motivation of public sector employees have been allocated. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation factors of the state service workers have been discussed. Based on the above, this empirical research was conducted among the 585 people aged 18 to 65 working in public institutions in Israel. The structure of the motivation sphere of the employees was studied from the perspective of the 12-factor motivation theory. Statistical analysis shows that there are differences in the level of motivation depending on the employee’s age and job seniority. Intrinsic motivation factors, such as structuring of work, social contacts, diversity and change, and the need for selfimprovement, growth, and development appear to be stronger among older employees. The results contribute to the development of work motivation plans for the employees and help to understand the key factors of public sector employee performance.

High frequency of carpal tunnel syndrome and associated factors: A cross-sectional study in Peruvian workers from agro-export industry.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a peripheral mononeuropathy caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist and has been reported in workers who perform repetitive movements that involve actions of sustained grasping of vibrating objects. We carried out a cross-sectional analytical study in March 2018 to identify the factors associated with the CTS among workers of agro-export companies in Ica-Peru. CTS confirmation in our study was based on having at least 1 positive screening test (Tinel or Phalen) and a presumptive result of CTS by the Kamath and Stothard Questionnaire. We carried out 4 Poisson regression models to evaluate the factors associated with CTS based on epidemiological and statistical criteria. We enrolled 112 agro-export workers in production (42.0%), packing (35.7%), and administration (22.3%) working areas. The CTS frequency in Peruvian agro-export workers in production, packing, and administrative working area were 78.7%, 45.0%, and 28.0%, respectively. The bivariate analysis found a relationship between the CTS with age, female sex, sports practice, job seniority in the working area (year), and repetitive wrist movements (hours per day). In the multivariate analysis, only job seniority in the working area (year) and repetitive wrist movements maintained their association with CTS. Occupational factors are significantly associated with a high frequency of CTS, such as job seniority in the working area (year) and repetitive wrist movements in agro-export workers. Surveillance programs should be held to prevent, reduce, and monitor workers' health status.

The association between number of steps and the ambulatory blood pressure during leisure vs. work hours among cleaners

PurposeThe physical activity paradox states occupational physical activity (OPA) to be hazardous and leisure time physical activity (LTPA) to be beneficial for health. Yet, the acute effects of OPA and LTPA on cardiovascular risk factors are sparsely investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects on ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) from steps/hour during work and leisure time among cleaners.MethodsData were obtained from a cluster randomized worksite intervention among 91 cleaners in Denmark and included a questionnaire, objective physical measurements, ABP (measured across 24 h), and steps/hour (measured during work and leisure time). A preliminary linear regression analysis was conducted as a mixed model including random intercept and slope, allowing for both within- and between-participant variability. We adjusted for sex, age, job seniority, medication use, smoking, self-reported fitness and BMI. Changes in ABP (mmHg) were estimated per 100 steps/hour.ResultsThe number of steps taken was not associated with ABP during either work or leisure. Moreover, the ABP did not seem to differ between exposure to steps taken during work (systolic − 0.42 mmHg, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): − 1.10–0.25, diastolic − 0.03 mmHg, 95% CI, − 0.45–0.39) and leisure time (systolic -0.47 mmHg, 95% CI, − 1.66–0.72, diastolic 0.25 mmHg, 95% CI, − 0.46–0.97).ConclusionOur findings show no significant association between steps/hour and ABP and no contrasting effects between work and leisure time. These mechanisms fostering the divergent results need to be further investigated to improve the understanding of the physical activity paradox.

COVID-19’s Impact on Medical Staff Wellbeing: Investigating Trauma and Resilience in a Longitudinal Study—Are Doctors Truly Less Vulnerable Than Nurses?

This study examines the psychological repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on a medical team in an Israeli general hospital. The research explores the professional quality of life, burnout symptoms, secondary traumatic stress, and mindfulness among team members across three distinct phases of the pandemic. Analysis was conducted for different subgroups based on job roles and seniority, allowing for an evaluation of the phase-specific effects on ProQOL (Professional Quality of Life) and mindfulness. Results align with established crisis trajectories: honeymoon/heroic phases, inventory, disillusionment, and recovery. As a result of the prolonged pandemic and the need to change shifts and recruit staff to deal with the affected patients, it is an accumulative study not following the same person but the same ward and the same hospital. The findings suggest a negative correlation between compassion satisfaction and burnout, as well as between mindfulness and burnout/secondary traumatic stress. Unlike most studies, healthcare workers (HCWs) were less affected than doctors in all measures. This study highlights doctors’ vulnerability and underscores hospital management’s key role in promoting effective support for professional quality of life. This is especially important for male doctors facing distinct well-being challenges.

Gender Differences and Readiness Towards Knowledge Sharing among Remote Working IT Sector Employees

The COVID-19 pandemic exerted a significant impact on various spheres of the functioning of an individual, including the area of professional functioning. One of these changes was the spread of remote working, which in turn led to the greater interest in this form of work and the search for effective solutions that support labour efficiency in these particular conditions. An important problem of remote working that is associated with the restriction of face to face communication, is the sharing of knowledge amongst the employees. The aim of the paper was to analyse the differences in the readiness to share knowledge in conditions of remote working in the IT sector between women and men depending on the chosen demographic factors and factors relating to work. The study included 112 employees from the IT industry who worked remotely at the moment of conducting the research. A self-designed survey was availed of in the research which encompassed the following: demographic data (sex type and age of those analysed, being in a relationship, number of children), variables associated with work (position held in the firm, job seniority, number of hours of remote work), while also questions relating to sharing knowledge with co-workers. In the analysed group of employees of the IT sector working remotely, a greater readiness to share knowledge was noted amongst men as compared to women. Furthermore, as the effect of intragroup comparisons, the following was noted: older women were more willing to share knowledge than younger women, raising three or more children, while also more than women who do not have children, whereas women in relationships were more willing to share knowledge than single women. In turn, in the group of men the differences were only evident in the sphere of job seniority. Longer job seniority turned out to be favourable towards the readiness to share knowledge. The research findings significantly broaden knowledge in the sphere of the individual factors influencing the effective organization of the process of knowledge management, while particularly knowledge sharing in conditions of remote working. This knowledge may be particularly useful for managers of the IT sector.

Knowledge and attitude factors associated with the prevalence of Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) booster vaccination in healthcare workers in a large academic hospital in Southern Italy in 2022: a cross-sectional study.

In Europe, there is still suboptimal tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) booster coverage. This study aimed to assess coverage status, knowledge, and attitude on Tdap vaccination in healthcare workers (HcWs) of the University Hospital "Federico II" in Naples, Southern Italy, in 2022, to improve current vaccination strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated anonymous questionnaire. Knowledge and attitude were measured as scores. Multivariable logistic and linear regression models were employed to identify correlates of Tdap booster and knowledge and attitude toward the vaccination, as appropriate. Models were controlled for age, sex, profession, department, and job seniority. A total of 206 questionnaires were administered among HcWs, and 143 (69.4%) were medical doctors. In total, 71 (34.47%) HcWs received the Tdap booster. Those who have worked 5-9 years at the hospital had a 78% lower likelihood of being vaccinated with the Tdap booster (5-9 years-OR: 0.22, CI: 0.06 | 0.85) as compared with newly hired HcWs. No differences in the average knowledge score were found. Other healthcare workers had a lower attitude as compared to medical doctors (Other-Coef. -2.15; CI: -4.14 | -0.15) and, as compared with those who worked in a clinical department, those who worked in a diagnostic-therapeutic department or medical management had 3.1 and 2.0 lower attitude scores, on average, respectively (diagnostic-therapeutic-Coef. -3.12, CI: -5.13 | -1.12; public health-Coef. -1.98, CI: -3.41 | -0.56). The study findings support the necessity to implement public health strategies and improve knowledge and attitude toward vaccinations and specifically highlight the importance of Tdap booster every 10 years as a prevention tool to protect high-risk populations.

Are we happy with our work in globalization? Globalization experience, achievement motivation, and job seniority as predictors of work satisfaction in a group of office workers

BackgroundThe main aim of this study was to determine whether globalization experience is a predictor of work satisfaction. In addition, we inspected a regression model consisting of globalization experience, job seniority, and goal achievement to determine how much variance in work satisfaction is accounted for by globalization experience. Most the theoretical texts about globalization suggest its negative impact on everyday life. The negative effects are – work–life balance problem, weakening of mechanisms to protect against the fear of death, and uncertainty.Method250 office workers participated in the study (Mage = 38.37; 145 females and 105 males). They responded to paper-and-pencil anonymous questionnaires measuring globalization experience, achievement goals, and work satisfaction. Respondents were also asked about their job seniority. We used Spearman’s rho correlations and multiple linear regression to check the basic linear relation between variables, and hierarchical multiple regression to determine which of them is the strongest predictor of work satisfaction.ResultsThe results indicated that globalization experience (R2 change = 0.089; p < .05) is a statistically significant negative predictor of work satisfaction and job seniority (R2 change = 0.056; p < .05) while achievement goals (R2 change = 0.188; p < .001) are positive predictors of work satisfaction.ConclusionWe concluded that further research on globalization experience is necessary because it is the precursory individualistic approach to globalization research and we obtained a statistically significant yet small relation with work satisfaction in correlation and regression analyses. The presented results are also the rationale for promoting mastery approach goals in the workplace to improve work satisfaction as they are statistically significant positive predictors of it.

Exploring the employment determinants of job insecurity in the French working population: Evidence from national survey data.

Studies are lacking on the employment determinants of job insecurity, that may be helpful to determine highly exposed groups and to assess the feasibility of constructing job-exposure matrices (JEMs) for this occupational exposure. The objectives were to explore the employment determinants of job insecurity in a nationally representative sample of the French working population. The study was based on the cross-sectional data of the 2013 national French working conditions survey including a sample of 28,293 employees, 12,283 men and 16,010 women. Job insecurity was assessed using one single item related to the fear of job loss in the next 12 months. Gender, age, and educational level were studied as well as the following employment variables: temporary/permanent work contract, full/part time work, job seniority, occupation, economic activity of the company, public/private sector, and company size. The associations with job insecurity were studied using bivariate and multivariate analyses. One quarter of the study sample was exposed to job insecurity, without any difference between genders. Lower age and lower educational levels were associated with job insecurity. Employees who had a temporary work contract, lower job seniority, who were working in low-skilled occupational groups, in manufacturing (for both genders) and construction (among men), and in the private sector had a higher prevalence of exposure to job insecurity. The two major employment variables associated with job insecurity were temporary work contract (prevalence ratios>2) and private sector (prevalence ratios>1.4) for the whole sample and for both men and women. Our findings suggested that intervention/prevention measures could be oriented towards specific highly exposed groups of the working population, especially those exposed to temporary work contract and/or working in the private sector. Our study also underlined that constructing JEMs for job insecurity may be possible and could be a useful tool for large-scale occupational health studies.

Sources of stress among Federal Correctional Officers in Canada.

Most correctional officers describe their jobs as stressful. The current study advances the scholarship on correctional stress by offering a rare qualitative analysis that identifies, provides meaning, and contextualizes sources of stress in correctional services. This study complements the correctional stress literature, which, until now, has relied primarily on quantitative methodologies to identify and assess stress determinants. Forty-four correctional officers from Canada's federal prisons were interviewed about their primary source of stress. Findings indicate that staff (i.e., co-workers and managers), not prison residents, represent a primary source of stress in correctional work. In addition, job seniority and gossip were the main stress triggers associated with co-workers, while centralization of decision-making processes and a lack of instrumental communication and support triggered stress coming from managers.

Opinion of surveyed nurses on transplantation and reasons for negative public attitudes toward organ donation.

Organ transplantation saves thousands of lives every year. Despite growing awareness of transplantation, the issue of obtaining organs for transplantation has been controversial for years. Hundreds of people are waiting in lines all the time for transplantation, for whom it is the only hope for a cure. One extremely important factor contributing to the low number of transplants is the low number of organ donations from deceased donors. Nurses are considered key facilitators of the organ procurement and transplantation process. Their knowledge of and attitudes toward organ donation can influence public opinion, as well as the decisions of their families to donate the organs of the deceased. The purpose of our study was to determine the opinions of surveyed nurses about transplantation and the reasons for negative public attitudes toward organ donation. The survey included 793 nurses employed in surgical wards across Poland with varying levels of job seniority. The survey was conducted between September and October 2022. The research tool was a survey questionnaire, consisting of three parts: socio-demographic data, questions assessing the respondents' knowledge of behavior about transplantation, and a non-standardized tool to measure respondents' emotional and motivational attitudes toward transplantation. Participation in the survey was anonymous and voluntary. The statistical analysis for independence of variables used the χ 2 test. On the other hand, coefficients based on the Phi and Cramer's V test, as well as Kruskal Wallis non-parametric tests for assessing differences (for more than 2 samples) were used to determine the strength of the relationship. During these analyses, in addition to standard statistical significance, the corresponding "p" values were calculated using the Monte Carlo method. According to the nurses surveyed, transplantation is a life-saving procedure. A significant proportion of the nurses (85.6%) believe that there are too few donors in Poland. According to 41.8% of the respondents, this is due to the fear of misdiagnosis of death, for 23.4% it is incompatible with their worldview or religion and 31.8% believe it is due to the belief in the inviolability of the human body after death. The survey showed that, in the nurses' opinion, the reason for objections to organ transplantation is the deficit in public's knowledge of cell, tissue and organ donation from both living and dead donors. Therefore it is extremely important to conduct educational campaigns in this regard.

Schools reality captured in words teachers narrative perspective

Introduction: Aim of the article is to present a conducted study that bases its theory on the narrative approach in psychology. Participants of this study were working teachers who varied in job seniority. The aim of the study was to describe how teachers perceive the reality of schools work if and how it changed between the first days of work and present times, what critical events influenced view of schools reality, and how they perceive modern pupils. The conclusions of this study show a negative image of work in school, burnout symptoms in teachersthat took part in the study, and upholding feeling of vivid, unfavourable, social image of teachers. Method: To answer the question regarding how active teacher constructs their narratives about schools reality data, collected by using an online constructed questionnaire, was analysed using guidelines from a method of interpretative-phenomenological analysis. Results: Results show a negative view of work in school, symptoms of burnout, and awareness of a negative social view on teachers. Conclusions: Narratives regarding the schools reality, described by active teachers, have a pessimistic tone. In these stories a common theme is that of a negative view on work in school, some of them contain content about career burnout and an unsympathetic point of view regarding teachers in society. Qualitative studies of teachers narratives can be a way of better understanding the psychological states of teachers which could lead to implementing some sorts of changes in the work environment regarding, for example, career burnout.

Determinants of moral sensitivity of midwives and nurses – current state of knowledge

Abstract Introduction. Midwives and nurses experience ethical dilemmas during providing patient care. The manner of coping with them plays an important role in shaping the nature of care. Aim. The aim was to analyse the scientific literature on moral sensitivity characterising midwives, nurses and to answer the question of which determinants influence it. Method. A critical review of the literature was performed, using a combination of key words: moral sensitivity, nurses, midwives, work, hospital. Articles were identified using three databases (PubMed, CINAHAL Complete, SCOPUS). The results were narrowed to original articles in English published between 2011 and 2021. The analysis covered 15 articles. Summary. The moral sensitivity of midwives and nurses exhibits a correlation with sociodemographic variables such as age, education, job seniority, and the hospital’s ethical climate and decision-making which is consistent with the principles of professional ethics. An important task of the academic, managerial staff of hospitals is to shape nurses’ and midwives’ moral sensitivity during their education.