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Friday, April 12, 2013
Learning Objective 1: describe generational differences related to multi-dimensional organizational commitment of nurses in the workforce.
Learning Objective 2: discuss potential management interventions to address generational differences in the workplace to improve organizational, employee and patient outcomes.
Hospitals are reporting decreased RN attrition and vacancy rates, and increased retention as nurses return to the workforce, and put off retirement during the current economic downturn in the U. S, and there is currently an oversupply of RNs caused by the slowed economy. Nurses are increasing working hours from part-time to full-time; nurses are returning to work after having left the workforce; and nurses contemplating retirement are postponing indefinitely. Retaining older nurses in the workplace means that more and more hospitals are seeing multiple generations of nurses in the workforce. How these nurses demonstrate commitment to the organization has not been well studied, and how organizational commitment in multi-generations of nurses is related to productivity, patient safety and quality of care is not fully known. Meyer and Allen’s Multidimensional Model of Organizational Commitment provided the foundation for this research examining differences in organizational commitment among generations of nurses as it relates to productivity, patient safety and quality care. The model proposes that organizational commitment consists of three dimensions: affective, continuance, and normative. Consequences of the different dimensions of commitment affect the organization and the employee differently related to retention, productive behavior, and employee well-being. The aim of this study was to explore differences in organizational commitment among generations of nurses related to productivity, patient safety and quality of care. Findings demonstrate significant differences between generations of nurses in practice with older Baby Boomer nurses reporting lower organizational commitment, and decreased productivity related to cognitive demands, handling/managing workload, support/communication with patients/visitors, and safety/competency. Managers must recognize the critical factors in the work environment related to generational differences in the workforce to enhance healthy work environments, nurse commitment to the organization, and ultimately to patient outcomes.