Nursing staff attitudes toward the work environment in a skilled nursing facility

This study examines the attitudes of nursing staff toward their work environment in one long-term-care facility. It was conducted in response to differences noted in job performance between two staff subgroups assigned to different work stations, a phenomenon not uncommon in institutions that are divided into wings, floors, or other subgroups. Through analysis of questionnaire responses and patient-care data, the authors identified an intragroup conflict between two subgroups of nursing aides that appeared to be a cause of low morale among one group of aides. The authors suggest several management strategies that could effectively improve morale and job performance. Most human-service and health professions have been primarily client- or patient-centered, particularly the nursing profession in which the majority of literature and research focuses on improving patient care. Less attention has been given to the stresses experienced by care-givers in health settings, and their potential effects on job performance. Issues such as burnout, stress-related illnesses, morale building, and new management approaches in long-term care only recently have been addressed. In a series of studies about the burnout syndrome in child care and mental health workers, it was noted that several institutional and personal variables affected people's attitudes toward their work, the institution, and patients. For example, when work relationships were good, staff members reported more positive feelings about their jobs. Other institutional variables relevant to long-term care included work schedules, work-sharing, degree of power or influence in decision-making, and feedback about job performance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)