Browsing by Person "Farquharson, Barbara"

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Stress amongst nurses working in a healthcare telephone-advice service: Relationship with job satisfaction, intention to leave, sickness absence, and performance
(Blackwell, 2012-07) Farquharson, Barbara; Allan, Julia; Johnston, Derek; Johnston, Marie; Choudhary, Carolyn J.; Jones, Martyn
explored whether stress related to performance, sickness absence, and intention to leave. Background. Nurses report high levels of stress, as do call-centre workers. The emergence of telephone health advice services means many nurses now work in call-centres, doing work that differs markedly from traditional nursing roles. Stress associated with these roles could have implications for nurses, patients, and service provision. Design. This paper reports cross-sectional survey results. The design of the overall study included longitudinal elements. Method. A comprehensive study of stress was conducted amongst nurses working for a telephone-advice service in Scotland (2008-2010). All nurse-advisors were approached by letter and invited to participate. A total of 152 participants (33%) completed a questionnaire including General Health Questionnaire-12, Work Family Conflict Questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Scale and a measure of intention to leave the telephone-advice service and rated the perceived stress of 2 working shifts. Nurses' employers provided data on sickness absence and performance. Results. Overall levels of psychological distress were similar to those found amongst Scottish women generally. In multiple regression, work-family conflict was identified as a significant predictor of job satisfaction and intention to leave, and significantly related to sickness absence. There were significant correlations between General Health Questionnaire scores and perceived stress of shifts and some performance measures. Conclusions. Work-family conflict is a significant predictor of job satisfaction, intention to leave, and sickness absence amongst telephone helpline nurses. Minimizing the impact of nurses' work on their home lives might reduce turnover and sickness absence. 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Stress in telephone helpline nurses: research protocol for a study of theoretical determinants, physiological aspects and behavioural consequences
(2009) Allan, Julia; Farquharson, Barbara; Choudhary, Carolyn J.; Johnston, Derek W.; Jones, Martyn C.; Johnston, Marie
Aim. This is a report of a research protocol to assess level, determinants and consequences of stress in NHS-24 telephone helpline nurses. Background. Nurses working in traditional hospital settings report high levels of occupational stress. Many nurses now work in call centres, environments with their own inherent stressors. Stress in nurses has been linked to reduced physical and psychological health, reduced job satisfaction, increased sickness absence and turnover, and poorer job performance. In this study, we will use multiple methods, including real time data collection to assess stress in telephone helpline nurses. Design. During 2008/09, NHS-24 nurses will (a) report general stress and call-by-call stress over two working shifts, (b) complete measures of theoretical determinants of occupational stress (demand, control, effort and reward), (c) have their concentration and attention tested before and after two shifts, (d) have their heart rate monitored over two shifts, (e) report job satisfaction, absenteeism and intended turnover and (f) allow the research team to retrieve related call data and performance indicators. Relationships between the variables will be assessed using regression and multi-level modelling. Discussion. Data will be analysed to examine the relationships between reported stress, physiological aspects of stress, call type, workplace attributes, cognitive performance, job satisfaction and absenteeism. The analysis will test models of occupational stress and assess the effects of stress on multiple work outcomes. The results will inform theoretical understanding of nurse stress, its determinants and possible methods of management. The practical challenges of conducting such a comprehensive study in a clinical environment are discussed.