Potential effects of the nursing work environment on the work-family conflict in operating room nurses

BACKGROUND The nursing working environment is an important subsystem in the hospital environment.A good working environment could have a positive impact on nurses.However,the work-family conflict and unsatisfactory working environment could significantly reduce their working enthusiasm,efficacy as well as the overall quality of the nursing,increase their fatigue,and thereby compromise their career status.AIM To explore the possible status quo and to analyze the correlation between work environment perception and the work-family conflict among nurses in the operating room.METHODS A total of 312 operating room nurses from two first-class hospitals at Grade 2 and two first-class hospitals at Grade 3 in China from May to September 2017 were included in this research using the cluster sampling method.The data,including the general information questionnaire,the practice environment scale of the nursing work index(PES-NWI),and the work-family conflict scale,were systematically collected.Pearson correlation analysis was applied to analyze the correlation between the two scores,with influencing factors analyzed by hierarchical regression analysis.RESULTS A total of 312 questionnaires were issued,and the response rate and effective questionnaire rate were both 96.15%(300/312).The total scores of the PES-NWI scale and the work-family conflict scale were 3.07±0.43(vs maximum up to 4 points)and 52.32±8.79(vs maximum up to 90 points),respectively.The scores of the PES-NWI scale were negatively correlated with that of work-family conflict scale(all P<0.05).The perception of the nursing work environment and the number of night shifts per month were the major factors contributing to the workfamily conflict(all P<0.05).CONCLUSION The nursing work environment and the work-family conflict among nurses in the operating room were both found at a medium level with a negative correlation between the two.

Critical care nurses and their clinical reasoning for customizing monitor alarms:a mixed-method study

Objective:To explore the clinical rationale of critical care nurses for personalizing monitor alarms.One of the most crucial jobs assigned to critical care nurses is monitoring patients'physiological indicators and carrying out the necessary associated interventions.Successful use of equipment in the nursing practice environment will be improved by a thorough understanding of the nurse's approach to alarm configuration.Methods:A mixed-method design integrating quantitative and qualitative components was used.The sample of this study recruited a convenience sample of 60 nurses who have worked in critical care areas.This study took place at Lebanese American University Medical Center Rizk Hospital,utilizing a semi-structured interview with participants.Results:The study demonstrated the high incidence of nuisance alarms and the desensitization of critical care nurses to vital ones.According to the nurses,frequent false alarms and a shortage of staff are the 2 main causes of alarm desensitization.Age was significantly associated with the perception of Smart alarms,according to the data(P=0.03).Four interconnected themes and subcategories that reflect the clinical reasoning process for alarm customization were developed as a result of the study's qualitative component:(1)unit alarm environment;(2)nursing style;(3)motivation to customize;and(4)clinical and technological customization.Conclusions:According to this study,nurses believe that alarms are valuable.However,a qualitative analysis of the experiences revealed that customization has been severely limited since the healthcare team depends on nurses to complete these tasks independently.Additionally,a staffing shortage and lack of technical training at the start of placement have also hindered customization.