Arlene Walker

Work readiness of graduate nurses and the impact on job satisfaction, work engagement and intention to remain

BACKGROUND AND AIM Graduate work readiness is a relatively new construct that can predict graduate potential. Its impact on graduate work outcomes however, is unknown. The current study aimed to explore the relationships between work readiness and a number of work outcomes (job satisfaction, work engagement, and intention to remain). DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS A survey design was used. A sample of 96 graduate nurses from two regional hospitals in Victoria, Australia participated in this study. METHOD Data were collected using quantitative surveys RESULTS Three of the four work readiness dimensions (organisational acumen, clinical competence and social intelligence) were found to predict job satisfaction and work engagement. Moreover, both job satisfaction and work engagement were found to mediate the relationship between organisational acumen and intention to remain. The findings indicate that dimensions of work readiness uniquely predict work outcomes. CONCLUSION Findings support prior research, which suggests that graduate work readiness is a multidimensional construct comprising skills and attributes beyond discipline-specific competence.

Outcomes associated with breach and fulfillment of the psychological contract of safety.

INTRODUCTION The study investigated the outcomes associated with breach and fulfillment of the psychological contract of safety. METHOD The psychological contract of safety is defined as the beliefs of individuals about reciprocal employer and employee safety obligations inferred from implicit or explicit promises. When employees perceive that safety obligations promised by the employer have not been met, a breach of the psychological contract occurs, termed employer breach of obligations. The extent to which employees fulfill their safety obligations to the employer is termed employee fulfillment of obligations. Structural equation modeling was used to test a model of safety that investigated the positive and negative outcomes associated with breach and fulfillment of the psychological contract of safety. Participants were 424 health care workers recruited from two hospitals in the State of Victoria, Australia. RESULTS Following slight modification of the hypothesized model, a good fitting model resulted. Being injured in the workplace was found to lower perceptions of trust in the employer and increase perceptions of employer breach of safety obligations. Trust in the employer significantly influenced perceived employer breach of safety obligations such that lowered trust resulted in higher perceptions of breach. Perceptions of employer breach significantly impacted employee fulfillment of safety obligations with high perceptions of breach resulting in low employee fulfillment of obligations. Trust and perceptions of breach significantly influenced safety attitudes, but not safety behavior. Fulfillment of employee safety obligations significantly impacted safety behavior, but not safety attitudes. Implications of these findings for safety and psychological contract research are explored. A positive emphasis on social exchange relationships in organizations will have positive outcomes for safety climate and safety behavior.

The development and validation of a psychological contract of safety scale

INTRODUCTION This paper builds on previous research by the author and describes the development and validation of a new measure of the psychological contract of safety. The psychological contract of safety is defined as the beliefs of individuals about reciprocal safety obligations inferred from implicit and explicit promises. METHOD A psychological contract is established when an individual believes that perceived employer and employee safety obligations are contingent on each other. A pilot test of the measure is first undertaken with participants from three different occupations: nurses, construction workers, and meat processing workers (N=99). Item analysis is used to refine the measure and provide initial validation of the scale. A larger validation study is then conducted with a participant sample of health care workers (N=424) to further refine the measure and to determine the psychometric properties of the scale. RESULTS Item and correlational analyses produced the final employer and employee obligations scales, consisting of 21 and 17 items, respectively. Factor analyses identified two underlying dimensions in each scale comparable to that previously established in the organizational literature. These transactional and relational-type obligations provided construct validity of the scale. Internal consistency ratings using Cronbachs alpha found the components of the psychological contract of safety measure to be reliable. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY The refined and validated psychological contract of safety measure will allow investigation of the positive and negative outcomes associated with fulfilment and breach of the psychological contract of safety in future research.

Primary - and secondary - level organizational predictors of work ability

Australia has one of the worlds most rapidly aging workforces and will inevitably experience labor shortages as a result. It is therefore necessary to examine factors that promote ability to work among aging workers in order to sustain a healthy aging workforce. The aim of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of primary- and secondary-level organizational factors on work ability. A total of 306 employees participated in an online survey for this cross-sectional study. The results demonstrated that organizational nurturance (culture) and vocational strain indirectly predicted work ability, with work satisfaction mediating these relationships. Findings are discussed within the context of strategies for promoting work ability for all workers and retaining aging workers.

Refinement and validation of the Work Readiness Scale for graduate nurses

The transition from student to registered nurse is often stressful and has been attributed to a lack of work readiness. Understanding what comprises work readiness for newly registered nurses, or graduate nurses as they are referred to in Australia, may reduce attrition and improve transition into the workplace. The 64-item Work Readiness Scale (WRS), developed with a generic population of graduates, has yet to be validated against specific disciplines to confirm applicability as a measure of work readiness. This study adapted the original WRS for use with a graduate nurse population (WRS-GN). The aim was to refine and validate the WRS-GN and determine whether the original four factor construct was supported. The WRS-GN was completed by 450 graduate nurses. Exploratory factor analyses supported the original four-factor solution (social intelligence, personal work characteristics, organizational acumen, and work competence). The final WRS-GN consisted of 46 items, showed excellent reliability, and explained 73.55% of the variance.

Mapping Postgraduate Nurse Education in Australia 2001-2002

Workforce planning at a national level within nursing and midwifery has been largely fragmented and uncoordinated with health-care organisations, state health authorities, peak nursing organisations and the tertiary sector often engaging in independent decision making and planning. In order to gain an increased understanding of the complexity of contemporary nurse education and to quantify the number of graduates of nursing education courses into categories that are meaningful for workforce planning, the federal Department of Education, Science and Training commissioned a national study in 2002. The aim of this study was to map and quantify current and projected numbers of Australian domestic nursing postgraduate students within their respective specialisation according to each State/Territory. All Australian universities offering postgraduate courses in nursing were electronically surveyed (n = 30). Two non-university providers of postgraduate nursing education were also asked to participate, but only one responded. Data were gathered on the number of domestic postgraduate nursing students enrolled in 2002, the number of course completions in 2001 and projected completions for 2002. Of the 13 broad band specialty categories developed for the study, the specialties of Midwifery and High Dependency were dominant in both student enrolments and course completions, including projected completions. The range of specialties that were offered varied by State/Territory, as did the number and percentage of students enrolled, completing and projected to complete each specialty program. Generic courses (without listed specialisations) continue to complicate the process of attempting to tease out and quantify accurately the number of enrolled and completing postgraduate students according to area of specialty practice.

Transition into the workplace: comparing health graduates’ and organisational perspectives

Background: Health graduates face personal and work-related stressors during the graduate year. The extent to which employers and health graduates have a shared understanding of graduate stressors is unclear but may impact graduate support and transition into the health profession. Aim and design: The aim of this exploratory qualitative study was to identify factors that impact health graduates’ transition and integration into the workplace, comparing the perspectives of health graduates and organisational representatives. Method: Individual and small group semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 medical and 26 nursing graduates and five organisational representatives from a regional health organisation in Victoria, Australia. A thematic analysis was undertaken on the data. Findings: Five main categories were identified: dealing with change, dealing with conflict, workload, taking responsibility and factors that influence performance. Conclusion: Similarities and differences in the perspectives of health graduates and organisational representatives were identified. These findings have implications for current graduate support programs.

Employee assistance programs in Australia: the perspectives of organisational leaders across sectors

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are employee services that assist in managing a range of issues. This paper posits that in order to ascertain the effectiveness of EAPs, it is critical to identify their purpose and how EAPs are embedded and utilised in organisations to inform evaluations of the programs. A qualitative study investigating how and why EAPs are used in organisations was undertaken. Participants were organisational leaders (3 males, 13 females) representing major industries in Australia. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data and thematic analysis delineated two categories and eight themes. These highlighted that participants primarily used external program providers and considered EAPs to be a vital resource of support for staff, a cost-effective mechanism for managing risk and developing staff, and industry expectation. Participants differed on their perspectives of how to position EAPs in organisations and what should be offered as core services of EAPs.

Evaluating the effectiveness of employee assistance programmes: a systematic review

ABSTRACT The rapid growth of employee assistance Programmes (EAPs) has not been matched by the accompanying research base of their efficacy. Given the inconsistent information relating to the effectiveness of EAPs in enhancing employee and organizational outcomes, the present review systematically appraised available evidence from organizational psychology and business databases and grey literature sources. A total of 17 studies examining the impact of EAPs, met the inclusion criteria. These were mostly from North America and utilized quantitative methodology and pre- and post-intervention designs. The majority of studies focused on EAPs offered by external providers and the counselling service, with the most common limitations being discrepancies in variable definitions and an absent comparable control group. Overall, this review found that utilizing EAPs enhanced employee outcomes, specifically improving levels of presenteeism and functioning. Absenteeism was most commonly investigated but produced mixed results. Presenteeism demonstrated a stronger effect size and greater improvement than absenteeism, suggesting presenteeism as a better variable for assessing EAP effectiveness. This review clarified parameters of existing evidence and highlighted the narrow range of measures used to date, omitting important constructs such as health and well-being and productivity. A broader evaluation capturing a wider range of variables is urgently needed.

Navigating Workplace Learning Placement Challenges

This chapter narrates and critically reflects upon our experience designing and delivering an educational development program for professionals supervising students during periods of workplace learning (WPL). Since the program focuses on educational skills and knowledge rather than profession-specific skills and knowledge, we use the terms educating clinical supervisors and educational development. We explore the background and context to the development of the program and provide a rationale for the particular educational development approach that was adopted. To inform others working in this space, we describe how we navigated the challenges associated with providing educational development for clinical supervisors.