Monday, November 3, 2003

This presentation is part of : Accepted Posters

Assessment of Lower Versus Higher Level Needs of Inpatient Registered Nurses Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Framework with Valid, Reliable Tools: OSI-R and NWI-R

Karen S. Cox, RN, PhD, CNAA1, Susan R. Santos, RN, PhD2, and Susan Teasley, RN1. (1) Patient Care Services, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, USA, (2) School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA

Objective

Research indicates 1 in 5 nurses expects to leave nursing within five years, largely as a result of poor working conditions. The objective of this pilot study was to correlate lower and higher level needs for inpatient registered nurses in their work environment using variables theoretically linked to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs model.

Design

This study was an exploratory pilot study.

Population, Sample, Setting

A voluntary sample of seventy inpatient registered nurses across all shifts at a large Midwest teaching hospital participated in the study.

Concept or Variables Studied Together

Lower level needs, Maslow’s physiologic and safety, were measured by the Occupational Stress Inventory- Revised (OSI-R) addressing stress, strain, and coping. Higher level needs were measured by the Nursing Work Index – Revised (NWI-R) and addressed autonomy, control over practice, nurse-physician relationship, and organizational support. These four sub scales are linked to belonging and esteem in Maslow’s model.

Methods

A correlation matrix using Pearson r was used to assess both the direction and magnitude of the relationships between the lower and higher level needs addressed in the OSI-R and the NWI-R respectively. When pair-wise concerns were indicated the criterion for rejection was set at .001.

Findings

There was a significant positive relationship between the majority of the study variables addressed in sub scales of the OSI-R (lower level needs), and the study variables addressed in sub scales of the NWI-R (higher level needs). These findings indicate that if lower needs are not addressed first it is difficult for nurses to appreciate higher level needs.

Conclusions

This pilot study indicates nurses’ basic needs, physiologic and safety, must be met in their work environment before advanced needs such as belonging and esteem can be fully appreciated. Replication with a larger sample is needed to determine if these results hold true.

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