Psychological contracts and commitment amongst nurses and nurse managers: a discourse analysis.
1National College of Ireland, Mayor Street, IFSC, Dublin 1, Ireland. tmccabe@ncirl.ie
International Journal of Nursing Studies
|December 12, 2012
Summary
Nurses
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Nursing Studies
- Organizational Psychology
Background:
- Limited research exists on the relationship between psychological contracts and nursing professionals' commitment.
- Perceived breaches of psychological contracts can significantly impact nurses' commitment levels in the healthcare sector.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the connections between psychological contracts and both organizational and professional commitment among nurses and nurse managers.
- To understand how professional and managerial values influence these relationships.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study employing semi-structured interviews with 28 nurses and 11 nurse managers.
- Participants were purposively sampled from acute and community settings within the British National Health Service.
- Discourse analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data from 39 interviews.
Main Results:
- Two primary themes emerged: professional values (recognition, work environment, development) and managerial values (involvement, general management, resource management).
- Relational psychological contracts, supported by affective and normative commitment, were identified as key for nursing professionals.
- Anecdotal evidence indicated that breaches in relational psychological contracts led to decreased job satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- Positive psychological contracts and commitment among nursing professionals are rooted in 'professional values'.
- Managers' awareness of nursing discourses and proactive management of expectations through involvement and leadership development can enhance psychological contracts and commitment.
- Addressing perceived psychological contract breaches is crucial for maintaining job satisfaction and commitment in the nursing workforce.
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