A comprehensive healthcare managerial framework that explicates the manner in which workload factors influence the nurses’ well-being : a case study of a Saudi Arabian hospital

Abstract

The shortage of specialized intensive care unit (ICU) nurses is a workload factor that negatively influences the provision of quality nursing care by compromising workplace productivity and job satisfaction. Work pressures are evident in health systems throughout the world, where there is growing concern over a nursing shortage in relation to the country's disease profile, population increases, chronic disease growth and increased life expectancies. Although workload plays a fundamental role in staff and patient well-being, minimal research has been conducted on the evaluation of workload effects and its impact on nurses' wellbeing among Saudi Arabian ICU nurses. Aim The aim of the study were to determine the various workload factors that influence the well-being of ICU nurses working in a Saudi Arabian Hospital and to develop a comprehensive healthcare managerial framework that explicates the way workload factors influence nurses’ well-being. Methodology Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, data were collected by means of semi structured interviews, with 20 participants in the qualitative phase. A survey questionnaire, that was developed and adapted from the Job Demand Resource (JDR) Model, was used to collect to data from 200 participants. The quantitative data were analysed using the latest version 25 of SPSS and qualitative data were analysed using Tesch’s method of data analysis. Findings The findings from the study were aligned to the JDR Model and provided evidence that ICU nurses experienced various workload factors that influenced their well-being and productivity. It was found that the high job demands cause strain and health impairment, which are associated with decreased job satisfaction of staff working in the ICUs of Saudi Arabian hospitals. On the basis of these findings, the researcher proposed and developed guidelines for the implementation of a comprehensive managerial framework that explicated workload factors that influence the well-being of the ICU nurses. The proposed framework can be utilized as an interactive tool that will set out clear actionable steps, providing ongoing guidelines on how healthcare organisations should plan and implement suitable workloads, efficiently and effectively, to ensure staff health and well-being.