Associations between level of services integration and nurses' workplace well-being

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Nursing Practice
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Quebec's healthcare system is undergoing service integration and care pathway reforms.
• Nurses are central to these transformations, adopting new practices that impact their well-being.
• Understanding the link between service integration and nurse well-being is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between healthcare service integration and nurses' workplace well-being.
• To explore how nurses perceive organizational change during integration processes.
• To identify factors influencing nurse satisfaction and stress levels.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 107 nurses across four care pathways in Quebec.
• Data were collected via questionnaires assessing the level of integrated care, perceptions of organizational change, and workplace well-being.
• Hierarchical linear regression analyses examined the associations between integration, change perception, and well-being.

Main Results:

• Higher levels of service integration were associated with lower negative stress and higher positive stress and satisfaction among nurses.
• Nurses in more integrated palliative oncology services reported better well-being.
• Perceived threat mediated the relationship between integration level and nurse well-being.

Conclusions:

• Service integration in healthcare is positively associated with nurses' workplace well-being.
• These findings offer insights for interventions to mitigate negative impacts of healthcare transformations on nursing staff.
• Addressing nurses' perceptions of threat is key to successful integration.