Quality of Work Life Among Nurses in Phichit Hospita

Abstract

    Organizational transitions affect the quality of work life among staff members which results in effectiveness of practice. The  purposes  of  this   study  were  to  describe the levels of quality  of work  life  among staff nurses in Phichit Hospital  and  to  compare  quality of work  life  between  professional  nurses  and  technical nurses. The  population  of  this  study  were 231  professional  nurses  and 51  technical  nurses  of  Phichit  Hospital. The study  instruments  were questionnaire , demographic  data  questionnaires  and  the levels  of  quality of work life  developed  by  the  researcher using  Knox  and  Irving^,s concept  (1997a) as  a  framework. Content validity was assured by three experts and having interater agreement of 0.88, content validity index of 0.87. Internal consistency reliability was 0.94 tested by using Cronbach^,s alpha coefficient. Data were analyzed by using computer program for executing percentage, mean, standard deviation.

    The  results  of  the  study  revealed  that  the  mean  score  of   quality of work life among nurses in Phichit Hospital  was  at a  high  level (m = 3.52, s = 0.40). The  mean  score of quality  work life was a moderate level for the organizational structure and function, individual staff perception, work  environment ,  nature of the work (m = 3.37 - 3.48, s = 0.40 - 0.59) but scope and complexity of  role , career paths , collaborative communication ,resources  were at a high level (m = 3.55-3.78 ,  s  = 0.48 - 0.66). The mean  scores of differences of  these nurses  were  compared   and  showed  that the mean  score of the  technical  nurses was slightly higher than that of the professional  nurses. The  mean  score  of  quality  work life among the  professional nurses  was  at a  moderate  level (m = 3.49, s = 0.40). The  mean  score of quality  work life among  technical  nurses  was  at a high  level (m = 3.68, s = 0.39)and the  mean  score of differences  among the  professional nurses for the organizational  structure and function , collaborative communication, nature of the work was at  a moderate level (m  = 3.34- 3.49, s = 0.50- 0.64)  but among  technical  nurses  was  at a high  level (m =3.63- 3.82 , s = 0.55-0.61).

    The  results of this study  could  be  utilized  as a  guide  for  nursing  administrator  in  considering  promoting high quality of work life and enhance  more effectively nursing practice among nurses in  Phichit  hospital.

Key words: Quality of work life,PhichitHospital.