Magdalena Jaworek

Caudal regression syndrome associated with the white matter lesions and chromosome 18p11.2 deletion

Caudal regression syndrome (CRS) is a rare combination of congenital abnormalities characterized by caudal vertebral agenesis/dysgenesis that is usually associated with congenital anomalies of spinal cord, gastrointestinal and genitourinary organs. Although the exact teratogenic mechanism is not known, same environmental, e.g., hyperglycemia and genetic factors appears to play a crucial role in this fetopathy. Herein, we report an unusual case of CRS associated with unspecific white matter lesions and 18p-syndrome manifested by congenital ptosis, hypothyroidism, facial dysmorphy and chromosome 18p11.2 deletion.

Work-related factors and age as determinants of three burnout dimensions among Polish hospital nurses

The aim of the current study was to investigate which of the examined work-related factors was regarded as the most demanded and stimulating in nurses’ job, and which of the age- -related factors were the predictors of the three burnout dimensions: emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and reduced personal accomplishment (rPA). This study was structured as a cross-sectional project, and the data were gathered using ananonymous questionnaires in 4 hospitals in Poland. The sample consisted of 237 nurses. According to the nurses studied, the most strained factors in their job were low salaries and current bad situation of the Polish health service, and the most stimulating– working in the pleasant atmosphere and patients’ satisfaction. The highest score of emotional exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment were characteristic of nurses above 40 years of age. Burnout syndrome was predicted by socio-organization environment requirements (EE, DP), sensory and mental task requirements (EE), organizational conditions (EE, rPA), job control (DP), social/communication condition (DP, rPA), and age (EE).

Perception of work environment among women and men – workload and autonomy in relation to job engagement

This article refers to the phenomenon of employee engagement as one of the key aspects of contemporary human resources management. The concept of professional engagement is a multi-dimensional approach relating to the positively understood effects of work, welfare of on employee, and optimization of the organization and its environment. Job engagement is believed to be strongly related to such processes as introduction of change in organizations, quality and performance issues, customer satisfaction or health, and effectiveness of people and organizations. Following the widely recognized in occupational health psychology model of Karasek (1979) and its further expansions, the authors of this article look upon work engagement as a subjective, psychological state of employees that emerges in certain circumstances, namely a “healthy” work environment. Following Kara- sek’s thinking it was hypothesised that perception of managable workload and sufficient autonomy will lead to the most required effects, such as higher levels of job engagement and its positive consequences. Thus, the specific purpose of this article is to investigate the way employees perceive their work environment in terms of workload and job autonomy in relation to job engagement. The empirical research was conducted from the perspective of the analysis of professional activity depending on the gender of respondents, limitations of social roles and the situation of women in Poland. The authors of the article conducted a questionnaire survey on a sample of 748 economically active persons, both women and men. The analyses showed statistically significantly higher levels of all three examined dimensions of job engagement (i.e. absorption, dedication, vigour) in women compared to men, together with a lower level of control (professional autonomy) declared by women. Control was a clear predictor of work engagement, to a similar extent in both men and women. In contrast, the relationship of workload with absorption, dedication and vigour proved to be variable and dependent on gender.