TY - JOUR
T1 - Work-related resources and demands predicting the psychological well-being of staff in children's hospices
AU - Bedendo, Andre
AU - Papworth, Andrew
AU - Taylor, Jo
AU - Beresford, Bryony
AU - Mukherjee, Suzanne
AU - Fraser, Lorna K.
AU - Ziegler, Lucy
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by the Martin House Research Centre: a partnership between the University of York and Martin House Hospice Care for Children and Young People.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Objectives This study assessed the work-related resources and demands experienced by children's hospice staff to help identify staff support systems and organizational practices that offer the most potential to prevent staff burnout and enhance well-being at work. Methods The relationships between individual and organizational characteristics, work-related resources and demands, and burnout and work engagement outcomes experienced by children's hospice staff were explored using two surveys: the Children's Hospice Staff survey, completed by UK children's hospice staff, and the Children's Hospice Organisation and Management survey, completed by the Heads of Care. We used structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between the variables derived from the survey measures and to test a model underpinned by the Job Demands-Resource (JD-R) theory. Results There were 583 staff responses from 32 hospices, and 414 participants provided valid data for burnout and work engagement outcome measures. Most participants were females (95.4%), aged 51-65 years old (31.3%), and had more than 15 years of experience in life-limiting conditions (29.7%). The average score for burnout was 32.5 (SD: 13.1), and the average score for work engagement was 7.5 (SD: 1.5). The structural model validity showed good fit. Demands significantly predicted burnout (b = 4.65, p ≤ 0.001), and resources predicted work engagement (b = 3.09, p ≤ 0.001). The interaction between resources and demands only predicted work engagement (b = -0.31, p = 0.115). Burnout did not predict work engagement (b = -0.09, p = 0.194). Significance of results The results partly supported the JD-R model, with a clear association between resources and work engagement, even when the demands were considered. Demands were only directly associated with burnout. The findings also identified a set of the most relevant aspects related to resources and demands, which can be used to assess and improve staff psychological well-being in children's hospices in the UK.
AB - Objectives This study assessed the work-related resources and demands experienced by children's hospice staff to help identify staff support systems and organizational practices that offer the most potential to prevent staff burnout and enhance well-being at work. Methods The relationships between individual and organizational characteristics, work-related resources and demands, and burnout and work engagement outcomes experienced by children's hospice staff were explored using two surveys: the Children's Hospice Staff survey, completed by UK children's hospice staff, and the Children's Hospice Organisation and Management survey, completed by the Heads of Care. We used structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between the variables derived from the survey measures and to test a model underpinned by the Job Demands-Resource (JD-R) theory. Results There were 583 staff responses from 32 hospices, and 414 participants provided valid data for burnout and work engagement outcome measures. Most participants were females (95.4%), aged 51-65 years old (31.3%), and had more than 15 years of experience in life-limiting conditions (29.7%). The average score for burnout was 32.5 (SD: 13.1), and the average score for work engagement was 7.5 (SD: 1.5). The structural model validity showed good fit. Demands significantly predicted burnout (b = 4.65, p ≤ 0.001), and resources predicted work engagement (b = 3.09, p ≤ 0.001). The interaction between resources and demands only predicted work engagement (b = -0.31, p = 0.115). Burnout did not predict work engagement (b = -0.09, p = 0.194). Significance of results The results partly supported the JD-R model, with a clear association between resources and work engagement, even when the demands were considered. Demands were only directly associated with burnout. The findings also identified a set of the most relevant aspects related to resources and demands, which can be used to assess and improve staff psychological well-being in children's hospices in the UK.
KW - burnout
KW - demands
KW - resources
KW - Well-being
KW - work engagement
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85177173964&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S147895152300161X
DO - 10.1017/S147895152300161X
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85177173964
SN - 1478-9515
JO - Palliative and Supportive Care
JF - Palliative and Supportive Care
ER -