Capturing Interactive Work for Nurses-First Validation of the German IWDS-N as a Multidimensional Measure

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Occupational Psychology
• Sociology of Work

Background:

• The theoretical framework of interactive work offers a multidimensional view of nurses' interpersonal demands.
• Existing research relies on qualitative data, limiting the measurement of these implicit demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To translate the qualitative framework of interactive work into a quantitative scale for measuring nurses' interpersonal demands.
• To validate the Interactive Work Demands Scale for Nurses (IWDS-N) and explore its relationship with well-being and job characteristics.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was conducted with 157 professional nurses in Germany.
• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to verify a 4-factor model for the IWDS-N.
• The survey also collected data on burnout, meaningfulness, work interruptions, time pressure, and coping strategies.

Main Results:

• The developed IWDS-N demonstrated a reliable 4-factor structure.
• Subscales of the IWDS-N negatively impacted indicators of work-related well-being.
• Negative job characteristics like time pressure positively correlated with IWDS-N subscales.

Conclusions:

• The IWDS-N is the first quantitative, multidimensional measure for interactive work demands in nursing.
• Understanding these demands is crucial for addressing implicit challenges in service work.
• A multidimensional approach to self-regulatory processes effectively captures the complexity of nurses' interactive work demands.