| Learning Objective #1: discuss the concept of nursing workshift turbulence. | |||
| Learning Objective #2: relate workshift turbulence experiences to provision of nursing care, uncertainty, job satisfaction, and anticipated turnover in hospital registered nurses. |
Design: Non-experimental model-testing
Sample: 298 Hospital-based Registered Nurses in
Methods: Data were collected via a web-based survey. Data analyses included descriptive and inferential statistics as well as structural equation modeling to test models.
Findings: Under a set of turbulent workshift circumstances, nurses reported being satisfied with the nursing care given to their patients. Yet, when asked how their patients would rate the nursing care received, nurses reported wishing they could have provided better nursing care. The level of turbulence on the workshift was strongly related to levels of uncertainty in the work environment. This uncertainty was strongly and negatively related to job satisfaction, with job satisfaction strongly and negatively related to anticipated turnover. Nurses from Magnet designated hospitals, and hospitals in the process of completing the application for Magnet designation, reported significantly lower levels of experienced workshift overload and lower anticipation of leaving their employment setting.
Conclusions: Understanding the experience of providing nursing care during a workshift provides new insights in the evidence related to nurse staffing in hospitals. Nurses report doing the best they can under turbulent workshift conditions. Yet, when these same nurses consider what patients would say about the care received, nurses wish they could have done a better job at providing nursing care. Leadership should consider these perspectives when evaluating interventions directed at improving the nursing work environment.
The American Organization of Nurse Executives and Florida Organization of Nurse Executives provided funding support for this study.