Hospital restructuring stressors, support, and nursing staff perceptions of unit functioning
1Schulich School of Business, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario, MeJ 1P3, Canada.
The Health Care Manager
|April 14, 2005
Summary
Hospital restructuring and downsizing create stress for nursing staff. Lower organizational support during these changes leads to poorer perceptions of hospital functioning long-term.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Nursing Studies
- Organizational Psychology
Background:
- Hospital restructuring and downsizing are prevalent globally.
- Research highlights stressors and facilitators for nursing staff during transitions.
- Understanding the long-term impact on perceptions of hospital functioning is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally examine the effects of hospital restructuring and downsizing on nursing staff perceptions of hospital functioning.
- To investigate the relationship between restructuring stressors, organizational support, and perceived hospital functioning over time.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design.
- Data collected via questionnaires from hospital-based nursing staff in 1996 and 1999.
- Statistical analysis to determine relationships between variables.
Main Results:
- Moderate, statistically significant relationships were found between restructuring stressors and organizational support in 1996 and hospital functioning perceptions in 1999.
- Higher restructuring stressors and lower organizational support in 1996 correlated with more negative perceptions of unit and hospital functioning in 1999.
Conclusions:
- Restructuring stressors and organizational support significantly impact nursing staff perceptions of hospital functioning.
- Early organizational support during hospital restructuring may mitigate long-term negative perceptions.
- Findings underscore the importance of supportive strategies for nursing staff during organizational change.
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