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Open Access 01-12-2019 | Burnout Syndrome | Research article

Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on working conditions, leadership, and safety climate: a cross-sectional study

Authors: Anke Wagner, Monika A. Rieger, Tanja Manser, Heidrun Sturm, Juliane Hardt, Peter Martus, Constanze Lessing, Antje Hammer, on behalf of the WorkSafeMed Consortium

Published in: BMC Health Services Research | Issue 1/2019

Abstract

Background

Promoting patient and occupational safety are two key challenges for hospitals. When aiming to improve these two outcomes synergistically, psychosocial working conditions, leadership by hospital management and supervisors, and perceptions of patient and occupational safety climate have to be considered. Recent studies have shown that these key topics are interrelated and form a critical foundation for promoting patient and occupational safety in hospitals. So far, these topics have mainly been studied independently from each other. The present study investigated hospital staffs’ perceptions of four different topics: (1) psychosocial working conditions, (2) leadership, (3) patient safety climate, and (4) occupational safety climate. We present results from a survey in two German university hospitals aiming to detect differences between nurses and physicians.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional study using a standardized paper-based questionnaire. The survey was conducted with nurses and physicians to assess the four topics. The instruments mainly consisted of scales of the German version of the COPSOQ (Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire), one scale of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), scales to assess leadership and transformational leadership, scales to assess patient safety climate using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSPSC), and analogous items to assess occupational safety climate.

Results

A total of 995 completed questionnaires out of 2512 distributed questionnaires were returned anonymously. The overall response rate was 39.6%. The sample consisted of 381 physicians and 567 nurses. We found various differences with regard to the four topics. In most of the COPSOQ and the HSPSC-scales, physicians rated psychosocial working conditions and patient safety climate more positively than nurses. With regard to occupational safety, nurses indicated higher occupational risks than physicians.

Conclusions

The WorkSafeMed study combined the assessment of the four topics psychosocial working conditions, leadership, patient safety climate, and occupational safety climate in hospitals. Looking at the four topics provides an overview of where improvements in hospitals may be needed for nurses and physicians. Based on these results, improvements in working conditions, patient safety climate, and occupational safety climate are required for health care professionals in German university hospitals – especially for nurses.

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Title: Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on working conditions, leadership, and safety climate: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Anke Wagner
Monika A. Rieger
Tanja Manser
Heidrun Sturm
Juliane Hardt
Peter Martus
Constanze Lessing
Antje Hammer
on behalf of the WorkSafeMed Consortium
Publication date: 01-12-2019
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keyword: Burnout Syndrome
Published in: BMC Health Services Research / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6963
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3862-7

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on working conditions, leadership, and safety climate: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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