Practice area and work demands in nurses' aides: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of how work demands vary between different practice areas could give us a better understanding of the factors that influence the working conditions in the health services, and could help identify specific work-related challenges and problems in the different practice areas. In turn, this may help politicians, and healthcare administrators and managers to develop healthy work units. The aim of this study was to find out how nurses' aides' perception of demands and control at work vary with the practice area in which the aides are working. METHODS: In 1999, 12 000 nurses' aides were drawn randomly from the member list of the Norwegian Union of Health – and Social Workers, and were mailed a questionnaire. 7478 (62.3 %) filled in the questionnaire. The sample of the present study comprised the 6485 nurses' aides who were not on leave. Respondents working in one practice area were compared with respondents not working in this area (all together). Because of multiple comparisons, 0.01 was chosen as statistical significance level. RESULTS: Total quantitative work demands were highest in somatic hospital departments, nursing homes, and community nurse units. Physical demands were highest in somatic hospital departments and nursing homes. Level of positive challenges was highest in hospital departments and community nurses units, and lowest in nursing homes and homes or apartment units for the aged. Exposure to role conflicts was most frequent in nursing homes, homes or apartment units for the aged, and community nurse units. Exposure to threats and violence was most frequent in psychiatric departments, nursing homes, and institutions for mentally handicapped. Control of work pace was highest in psychiatric departments and institutions for mentally handicapped, and was lowest in somatic hospital departments and nursing homes. Participation in decisions at work was highest in psychiatric departments and community nurse units, and was lowest in somatic hospital departments and nursing homes. CONCLUSION: The demands and control experienced by Norwegian nurses' aides at work vary strongly with the practice area. Preventive workplace interventions should be tailored each area

Stress and psychological health: testing the mediating role of cognitive appraisal

This study tested the mediating role of primary (e.g., threat and challenge perceptions) and secondary (e.g., coping potential and control perception) cognitive appraisal in the relationship between occupational stress and psychological health. This mediation was tested using a cross-sectional study based on self-reported measures. The total sample consisted of 2,302 nurses, 1,895 females (82.3%) and 407 males (17.7%), who completed an evaluation protocol with measures of occupational stress, cognitive appraisal, and psychological health. To test the mediating role of cognitive appraisal in the relationship between cognitive appraisal and psychological health, we used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results confirmed that primary and secondary cognitive appraisals partially mediated the relationship between occupational stress and psychological health; however, the direct effects of stress on psychological health cannot be ignored. The findings indicated that cognitive appraisal is an important underlying mechanism in explaining adaptation at work.This study was conducted at Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of MInho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education through national funds and co-financed by FEDER through COMPETE2020 under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653)

Zum Stand der Professionssoziologie: Rekonstruktion machttheoretischer Modelle der Profession

Daheim H. Zum Stand der Professionssoziologie: Rekonstruktion machttheoretischer Modelle der Profession. In: Dewe B, Ferchhoff W, Radke FO, eds. Erziehen als Profession zur Logik professionellen Handelns in pädagogischen Feldern. Opladen: Leske u. Budrich; 1992: 21-35.Der Verfasser will 'verdeutlichen, daß der Weg von einer strukturfunktionalistisch-indikatorischen hin zu einer strukturtheoretischen Betrachtung von Professionalisierungsprozessen über macht- und handlungstheoretische Zwischenstationen führt'. Dazu wird die Debatte der 60er und 70er Jahre um angemessene Analysemodelle und die Konsolidierungsphase der 80er Jahre, in deren Mittelpunkt Forschungen zum Autonomieproblem standen, behandelt. Im Ergebnis erweist sich die Analyse der professionellen Wissensbasis als dringend notwendig, 'da erst von hier aus ein Vorstoß in Richtung auf die Rekonstruktion der internen Handlungslogik professionellen Handelns möglich wird'. Insgesamt mangelt es 'an theoretisch orientierter, historisch und international vergleichender Forschung'. (pbb

Netzwerkförderung als Aufgabe der sozialen Arbeit im Krankenhaus

Garms-Homolová V, Schaeffer D. Netzwerkförderung als Aufgabe der sozialen Arbeit im Krankenhaus. In: Dewe B, Wohlfahrt N, eds. Netzwerkförderung und soziale Arbeit. Empirische Analysen in ausgewählten Handlungs- und Politik-feldern. Bielefld: Kleine; 1991: 181-208