Effect of Nursing Activities on the Quality of Work-life Balance, Absenteeism, and Job Satisfaction among Nurses at Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Background: Nursing activities refer to all forms of direct and indirect care provided to patients incommunity settings, particularly in intensive care units where care for critically ill, disabled and dyingpatients may burden the nurses' productivity and quality of patient care, reflecting on their personal livesand leading to dissatisfaction about job and absenteeism. Therefore, work-life balancing practices aim toreduce stress and absenteeism and improve nurses' performance. Hence, improving work-life balance(WLB) for nurses is vital, as it is the basis of quality of working life (QWL). Aim: To assess the effect ofnursing activities on the quality of work-life balance, absenteeism, and job satisfaction at intensive careunits. Subjects and Method: Design: A Descriptive-Correlation research design was used. Setting: Thestudy was conducted in eight intensive care units at Mansoura University Hospitals. Subjects: Aconvenient sample included all nurses who are working in the above-mentioned setting (100 nurses).Four tools used for data collection: Tool (I) Self-administered questionnaire which included two parts(1) Nurse's socio-demographic characteristics data and (2) Work-life Balance Scale, Tool (II) Modifiedquality work life questionnaire, Tool (III) Nurses perception related to job satisfaction, Tool (IV) Nursesabsenteeism rate from nurses attendance records, and Tool (V) Intensive Care Units Patients Acuity.Results: The majority (73%) of the nurses in the research said they had a poor overall work-life balance,with a mean percentage of 52%; the remaining (46% and 40) had a moderate or low level of overall workquality. There was a statistically significant positive link between nurses' overall work-life balance andtheir overall job satisfaction, quality of life at work, and staff nurses' absence rate at   Conclusion: The present study concluded that there was a positive correlation between nurses' work-lifebalance, quality of work-life, absenteeism, and job satisfaction in ICUs at Mansoura University Hospitalat a p-value p<0.001. Recommendations: The work-life balance should be prioritized, according to thecurrent study's findings, to enhance nurses' quality of working life.