The Effects of Job Characteristics and Work-life Balance on Mental Health of Surgical Nurses

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to identify discrepancies between surgical nurses actual and desired work-life balance and examine the effect of job characteristics on the nurses mental health. Methods: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire-based survey was conducted among the surgical nurses at 31 medical institutions in the Kinki area, and 258 valid responses were obtained. The nurses actual and desired work-life balance was assessed using a visual analog scale (1-20 points), job demands and job control were measured using the job content questionnaire, and mental health was assessed using the 12-item version of General Health Questionnaire. The nurses were divided into the following two groups based on the level of discrepancy between their actual and desired work-life balance: nondivergent and divergent. The effects of the job characteristics on the nurses mental health were examined using multiple regression analysis. Results: Of the 258 nurses included in the study, 46 (17.8%) were classified into the nondivergent group and 212 (82.2%) into the divergent group. The data analysis results indicated that an increase in the nurses job control enhanced their mental health. Conversely, larger discrepancies between the nurses actual and desired work-life balance were associated with a decline in the mental health. Conclusion: The analysis showed that more than 80% of the surgical nurses had a marked discrepancy between their actual and desired work-life balance, which led to a decline in the mental health. To help the surgical nurses feel at their best in order for them to work safely during surgeries, it is important for them to maintain their mental health. Therefore, organizations that employ these nurses should consider measures that give them as much job control as possible and address the discrepancies between their actual and desired work-life balance.