Performance Obstacles and its relation to the Perceived Quality of patient care and Quality of Working Life among ICU Nurses: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: Performance obstacles and poor ICU work system design may negatively affect the quality and safety of nursing care as well as nursing quality of working life (QWL). Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate performance obstacles and its relation to perceived quality of patient care and quality of working life among ICU nurses. Design: A correlational comparative design was utilized in this study. Setting: The present study was carried out in the intensive care units at three private hospitals and in new kaser El Ainy teaching hospital in Egypt. Subjects: A convenient sample of 188 staff nurses who were working in the selected ICU and who were willing to participate in the study constituted the study sample .It divided into (80) staff nurses out of 129 in private sector and 108 staff nurses out of 178 in new kaser El Ainy teaching sector. Tools: Data of the present study were collected through utilizing the following three tools: Performance obstacles of ICU questionnaire, quality of work life questionnaire (QWL) and perceived quality of care questionnaire. Results: Findings of the present study concluded that there was a statistical significant difference between nurses' perception of performance obstacles in the selected sectors, a statistical significant difference between nurse's perception of quality of work life as well as perceived quality of patient care in both teaching and private sectors, and there was a statistical significant correlation between performance obstacles and WQL only in the private sector while no correlation was found between performance obstacles and perceived quality of patient care and QWL in the teaching sector. Recommendations: It is recommended that hospital administration must implement interventions aimed at redesigning the work system of critical care units to remove performance obstacles related to organization and technology obstacles. Health care policy makers in teaching hospitals must establish strategies to eliminate performance obstacles related to unavailability, misplacement of equipment, supplies, and patient charts as well as reorganization of patient rooms.