Impacts of nursing work environment and burnout on turnover intentions among nurses in Ghana

Background Professional practice environment supports excellence and decent work and has the influence to entice and retain quality-nursing workforce. In high-resourced settings, significant number of studies exist to prove that professional practice environment with low levels of burnout play important role in enhancing patients’ and staff job outcomes. Appreciating the dynamics that affect turnover intention of nurses offer reasonable solutions to the challenges of nursing shortage, which directly influence quality of nursing care. Few studies undertaken on the subject in Ghana, however focused on miners, workers in the hotel industry, and worker telecommunication. There is evidently paucity of information on the impacts of nursing practice environment on turnover intentions among nurses in Sub-Saharan African. The study therefore aimed at determining the predictors of turnover intentions among nurses in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional approach using a simple random and proportionate stratified sampling with a sample of 232 nurses completed validated instruments measuring work environment, burnout and turnover intentions. Descriptive and regression analysis were done on the various variables. Results While most nurses had positive perception about their work environment, greater number of them had turnover intentions. There was also significant associations between nursing work environment facets and turnover intention. The age of the nurse, years in nursing and the personal accomplishment of the nurse were significant predictors of turnover intentions of the nurse. Conclusion Burnout in any dimension results from unhealthy workplace; and unduly influences nurses’ turnover intention. This phenomenon can potentially affect the human resource management and the consequentially poor quality of nursing care provided to patients. Ensuring positive work setting and reduced burnout can therefore improves retention of nurses at their workplace.

Professional practice environment and nursing work stress in neonatal units

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the nurse professional practice environment of neonatal units and its relationship with the levels and main sources of occupational stress. Method: Cross-sectional descriptive, exploratory, correlational study performed with nursing professionals of neonatal units of four public hospitals. A sociodemographic/professional questionnaire, the Brazilian version of Practice Environment Scale, and the Work Stress Scale were applied. In the analysis, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson chi-squared, Likelihood Ratio, and Mann Whitney U tests were adopted for association among variables. Results: Participating professionals amounted to 269. The practice environment was evaluated as favorable by more than half of the sample (63.6%), showing a significant statistical association which was inversely proportional with occupational stress (p < 0.001). The insufficient number of professionals for quality care was the major source of stress for nursing technicians, whereas teamwork with doctors was the predominant factor for the evaluation of environment quality and high stress levels of nurses. Conclusion: Unfavorable practice environments increase the stress levels of nursing professionals in neonatal units and may compromise patient safety.

Nurses’ Perceptions of Professional Practice Environment and Its Relation to Missed Nursing Care and Nurse Satisfaction

The professional practice environment is a factor that can have a significant impact on missed nursing care. The study aimed to find a relationship between nurses’ perceptions of their professional practice environment and missed nursing care and job satisfaction. An additional aim was to find differences in nurses’ perceived rating of the professional practice environment according to hospital location and job position. A descriptive correlational study was performed. The sample included 513 general and practical nurses providing direct care in nine Czech hospitals. The Revised Professional Practice Environment scale and the Missed Nursing Care (MISSCARE) survey were used to collect data. The professional practice environment was most correlated with satisfaction with the current position (0.4879). The overall score of missed care correlated most strongly with the subscale “staff relationships” (−0.2774). Statistically significant differences in the rating of two subscales, “control over practice” and “cultural sensitivity”, were found between nurses from hospitals in district capitals and those from hospitals in smaller cities. Statistically significant differences in the rating of the “leadership and autonomy in clinical practice” and “teamwork” subscales were found between general nurses and practical nurses. The professional practice environment is related to nurse satisfaction and missed nursing care.