Wellbeing is emerging as an important consideration for organisations.
Although a clear and concise definition of wellbeing remains elusive, because of its complexity, one thing is increasingly clear, organisations can (and do) influence our wellbeing at work.1-2 Broadly, wellbeing has two interconnected branches:
- Individual wellbeing includes attributes such as experiencing positive emotions and moods, high life satisfaction, being cheerful and optimistic, and demonstrating self-awareness and mindfulness.1
- Organisational wellbeing reflects the quality of the workplace and includes cohesion, trust, teamwork, engagement, a sense of purpose, and social integration.1
Burnout, job dissatisfaction, and intention to leave are often used as indicators of workforce wellbeing (although, in fact, they are the opposite). Evidence suggests these outcomes are driven largely by organisational rather than individual factors.2 Research has shown that the strongest predictors of poor workforce wellbeing are characteristics related to the organisation, including inadequate staffing, unmanageable workloads, ineffective leadership, poor workplace environments, and weaker patient safety cultures.2 Hospitals with these organisational characteristics consistently report substantially higher proportions of staff experiencing burnout, dissatisfaction with their jobs, and intentions to leave.2
Perhaps the most important message from this research is that workforce wellbeing is not simply an individual responsibility. It is fundamentally shaped by the organisation in which nurses and midwives work. In other words, maybe it really is not me (the individual), but you (the organisation)?
Over the coming months, health, safety and wellbeing challenges affecting nurses and midwives will be explored through a series of online articles. The series will examine the individual and organisational factors that shape these challenges, alongside practical, evidence-based strategies for creating healthier and safer workplaces.
The series will conclude with the launch of a free education module designed to support nurses and midwives to develop, implement and evaluate local research projects addressing challenges in their own workplaces.
The education module forms part of the broader ‘OWL-WELL’ project, led by Associate Professor Micah Peters PhD from Adelaide University’s Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre and the ANMF National Research and Policy Unit (Federal Office).
References
- Patrician, P. A., Bakerjian, D., Billings, R., Chenot, T., Hooper, V., Johnson, C. S., & Sables-Baus, S. (2022). Nurse well-being: A concept analysis. Nursing outlook, 70(4), 639–650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2022.03.014
- Aiken, L. H., Lasater, K. B., Sloane, D. M., Pogue, C. A., Rosenbaum, K. E. F., Muir, K. J., … & US Clinician Wellbeing Study Consortium. (2023). Physician and nurse well-being and preferred interventions to address burnout in hospital practice: factors associated with turnover, outcomes, and patient safety. JAMA health forum, 4(7), e231809-e231809. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.1809
This project is supported by a grant from the Teachers Health Foundation.
