Abstract
1- Introduction
2- Methods
3- Results
4- Discussion
5- Limitations
6- Practical guidance
7- Conclusion
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Research Data
References
Abstract
Objectives: To investigate the relationship between communication and job satisfaction and their association with intention to leave and burnout among intensive care unit nurses. Research methodology/design: A multicentre questionnaire study. Setting/participants: Intensive care nurses (n = 303) from three Flemish hospitals. Main outcome measures: Communication satisfaction assessed by the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire, intention to leave through the Turnover Intention Scale (from the Questionnaire for the Perception and Assessment of Labour) and burnout by the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Job satisfaction was measured by a visual analogue scale. Results: Average job satisfaction was 7.66 ± 1.34/10. Nurses were most satisfied about ‘Communication with supervisor’ (68.46%), and most dissatisfied about ‘Organisational perspectives’ (34.12%). Turnover intention was low among 49.5% (150/290) and high among 6.6% (20/290). Three percent (9/299) of intensive care nurses were at risk for burnout. All dimensions of communication satisfaction were moderately associated with job satisfaction, intention to leave and burnout. Conclusion: This study demonstrated high levels of communication and job satisfaction in a sample of nurses in Flanders. Intention to leave and burnout prevalence were low. To a certain extent, communication satisfaction might be associated with job satisfaction, intention to leave and burnout
Introduction
Nurses fulfill an essential role within the intensive care unit (ICU) team. They contribute to improved clinical outcomes, fewer complications as well as errors and hence to reduced morbidity and mortality. ICU nurses co-operate closely with physicians as well as with colleagues and interact with the family of the patient (Blot et al., 2011, 2014; Brock et al., 2013; Coburn and Gage-Croll, 2011; Courtenay et al., 2013; Liu et al., 2015). These collaborations can lead to ethical conflicts, in particular when nurses feel insufficiently involved in medical decisions (Falco-Pegueroles et al., 2016). ICU nurses have unique working conditions, characterised by a high technical environment and the continuous handling of seriously ill patients requiring highly specialised training and education (Endacott et al., 2015). In this regard, the ICU differs from many other departments (Cartledge, 2001; van Dam et al., 2013).