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The importance of the supervisor for the mental health and work attitudes of Australian aged care nurses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 November 2012

John Rodwell  and
Angela Martin
John Rodwell*
Affiliation:
Australian Catholic University, Victoria, Fitzroy, Australia
Angela Martin
Affiliation:
The University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Professor John Rodwell, Australian Catholic University, Victoria, Locked Bag 4115, Fitzroy VIC 3065, Australia. Phone: +61-3-9953-3486. Email: john.rodwell@acu.edu.au.
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Abstract

Background: The work attitudes and psychological well-being of aged care nurses are important factors impacting on the current and future capacity of the aged care workforce. Expanding our understanding of the ways in which the psychosocial work environment influences these outcomes is important in order to enable organizations to improve the management of human resources in this sector.

Methods: Using survey data from a sample of 222 Australian aged care nurses, regression analyses were employed to test the relative impact of a range of psychosocial work environment variables derived from the demand-control-support (DCS) model and organizational justice variables on satisfaction, commitment, well-being, and depression.

Results: The expanded model predicted the work attitudes and well-being of aged care nurses, particularly the DCS components. Specifically, demand was related to depression, well-being, and job satisfaction, job control was related to depression, commitment, and job satisfaction, and supervisor support and interpersonal fairness were related to well-being. The contributions of informational and interpersonal justice, along with the main and interaction effects of supervisor support, highlight the centrality of the supervisor in addressing the impact of job demands on aged care nurses.

Conclusion: Psychosocial variables have utility beyond predicting stress outcomes to the work attitudes of nurses in an aged care setting and thus present further avenues of research for the retention of nurses and improved patient care.

Keywords

aged care nursesdemand-control-supportjusticemental health and well being
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , March 2013 , pp. 382 - 389
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2012

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