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There is some research on the impact of open-ward unit design on the health of babies and the stress experienced by parents and nurses in neonatal intensive care units. However, few studies have explored the factors associated with nurse stress and work satisfaction among nurses practicing in open-ward neonatal intensive care units. The purpose of this study was to examine what factors are associated with nurse stress and work satisfaction among nurses practicing in an open-ward neonatal intensive care unit. A cross-sectional correlational design was used in this study. Participants were nurses employed in a 34-bed open-ward neonatal intensive care unit in a major university-affiliated hospital in Montréal, Quebec, Canada. A total of 94 nurses were eligible, and 86 completed questionnaires (91% response rate). Descriptive statistics were computed to describe the participants' characteristics. To identify factors associated with nurse stress and work satisfaction, correlational analysis and multiple regression analyses were performed with the Nurse Stress Scale and the Global Work Satisfaction scores as the dependent variables. Different factors predict neonatal intensive care unit nurses' stress and job satisfaction, including support, family-centered care, performance obstacles, work schedule, education, and employment status. In order to provide neonatal intensive care units nurses with a supportive environment, managers can provide direct social support to nurses and influence the culture around teamwork. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Workplace empowerment is an important strategy for creating positive nursing work environments in a time of a severe nursing shortage. The purpose of this study was to test a model linking staff nurse perceptions of empowerment to their perceived fit with 6 areas of work life and work engagement/burnout using Kanter's work empowerment theory. We tested the model in a cross-sectional correlational survey design with a random sample of 322 staff nurses in acute care hospitals across Ontario. Overall, staff nurses perceived their work environment to be only somewhat empowering. Fifty-three percent reported severe levels of burnout. Overall empowerment had an indirect effect on emotional exhaustion (burnout) through nurses' perceived fit in 6 areas of work life. The final model fit statistics revealed a good fit (chi2 = 32.4, df = 13, GFI = 0.97, IFI = 0.97, CFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.07). These findings have important implications in the current nursing shortage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nurses (N = 159) participated in a 5-year panel study of coping with hospital downsizing and amalgamation. Nurses in the acquiring hospitals increased their use of help-seeking coping, whereas nurses in the acquired hospitals reduced their use of help-seeking coping. Both groups of nurses increased their use of avoidance/resignation coping. Prior coping resources were positively associated with the use of control-oriented coping, whereas constraints inhibited the use of these coping strategies. Both groups of nurses reported a decrease in resources during the amalgamation, indicating a negative impact of amalgamation not only on nurses in the hospitals being acquired but also on nurses in the hospitals remaining open. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Alberta health care system experienced dramatic changes after provincial funding cuts to health care from 1993 to 1996. As a result, stressors for nurses increased. The question of whether job uncertainty, working conditions, cognitive appraisal, and coping strategies influence the health of registered nurses in a context of health care restructuring was examined. Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress was used as the conceptual framework. A total of 271 registered nurses employed in a large, urban, acute-care teaching hospital responded to a self-administered survey questionnaire. Using multiple regression analysis, depression and self-reported physical health were analyzed. The data suggest that the threat of being placed on recall, having a coworker bumped or laid off, and perceived job security were adversely related to physical health. High primary appraisal of threat was associated with high levels of depression and poor physical health. In addition, the findings suggest that various coping strategies had both buffering and exacerbating effects on physical health and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the relationship between job stress and performance and withdrawal behavior among nurses in Canada. Identification of job stressors; Types of withdrawal behaviors assessed; Impact of the organizational and profession commitment of the nurses.

Which job stressors are the best predictors of propensity to quit among the nursing staff in emergency wards and intensive care units are explored in this paper. Employees of 30 Quebec hospitals (i.e. 60 wards in total) participated in the study (n=1237). Stepwise multiple regression revealed that lack of professional latitude and role problems are the best predictors of the intention to quit the organization among all nursing staff. These two job stressors are briefly addressed in the context of intervention and possible remedies aiming at improving quality of life, mental health and decreasing the rate of turnover. It is argued that such intervention would benefit the nurses, the quality of patient care, as well as the respective hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the prevalence and consequences of Type A behavior among nurses working in eight hospitals in a large metropolitan Canadian city. Data were collected by means of structured questionnaires from 1148 nurses. The prevalence of Type A behavior in a number of subgroups based on sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, mother tongue, marital status, education. hours of work, seniority, and the number of previous nursing jobs in the last Five years were examined. Age was the only sociodemographic variable significantly associated with Type A behavior, to terms of consequences, Type A nurses experienced significantly greater job, stress, role ambiguity, conflict, overload, and turnover cognition than Type B nurses, Type A nurses showed significantly higher job involvement effort at job and attendance than type B nurses, Type A and B nurses did not differ significantly on organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and promotion expectations. The moderating effects of age, marital status, and mother tongue, on the above relationships were analyzed. Implications of these findings For management and for future research are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reflects on a recent statistical survey that covered all nurses working in Canada, as of June 2008. According to the Statistics Canada survey of the nation's nurses, there is a one in five chance that a hospital patient will be administered the wrong dose of a drug. Findings were based on data gathered from the 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses, which conducted telephone interviews with nurses on condition of confidentiality. It found that nurses working 12-hour shifts are less likely to make medication errors compared to nurse working for 8-hours.

Focuses on an intervention study aimed at enhancing the support needs of nurses in HIV/AIDS care in Canada. Implementation of an accessible peer support group intervention directed at the assessed support needs of nurses; Impact of telephone support-group intervention on stress, job satisfaction, burnout, coping and social support; Contact information.