Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Relations between work stressors and well-being among nursing assistants in nursing homes

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background and aims: Nursing assistants undertake a variety of activities related to personal and environmental care. A review of nursing assistants’ employment conditions reveals relatively low salaries, virtually no assessment or promotion system, and rarely incentives or rewards offered for excellence. This study examines nursing assistants’ work stressors and their influence on nursing assistants’ subjective well-being. Methods: The research hypotheses were: a) Personal and job characteristics affect the subjective well-being of nursing assistants; b) Work stressors are negatively related to subjective well-being; c) Differences are found in work stressors and subjective well-being between nursing assistants working with the frail elderly and those working with the totally dependent; d) Social support proves to be a moderating factor of work stressors and contributes to higher levels of subjective well-being. The sample included 198 nursing assistants from various nursing homes in northern Israel (102 working in wards for frail elderly, and 96 in wards for totally dependent elderly). Results: The main findings show that work stressors are negatively related to subjective well-being, especially role conflict and work demands. Conclusions: Findings describe a profile of nursing assistants’ characteristics in nursing homes from unique point of view regarding Israeli culture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Cantor MH, Chichin ER. Stress and strain among homecare workers of the frail elderly. 1990; New York: Brookdale Research Institute on Aging, Third Age Center, Fordham University.

  2. Crown W. A national profile of homecare, nursing home and hospital aides. Generations 1994; 18: 29–33.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Hayashi R, Gibson JW, Weatherley RA Working conditions in home care: a survey of Washington State’s home care workers. Home Health Care Quarterly 1994; 14: 37–48.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Chapel N, Novak M. The role of support in alleviating stress among nursing assistants. Gerontologist 1992; 32: 351–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Hare J, Pratt CC. Burnout: Differences between professional and paraprofessional nursing staff in acute care and long-term care health facilities. J Applied Gerontol 1988; 7: 60–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ron P, Lowenstien A. In-service training for professionals and para-professionals staff in institutes for the aged. Educ Gerontol 2002; 28: 587–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Astrom S, Nilsson M, Norberg A, Winblad B. Empathy, experience of burnout and attitudes toward demented patients among nursing staff in geriatric care. J Adv Nurs 1991; 15: 1236–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Estryn-Behar M, Kaminski M, Peigne E, et al. Stress at work and mental status among female hospital workers. Br J Industr Med 1990; 47: 20–8.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Novak M, Chappel N. The impact of cognitively impaired patients and shift on nursing assistants’ stress. Int J Aging Human Dev 1996; 43: 235–48.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Pearson J, Verma S, Nellet C. Elderly psychiatric patient status and care-giver perceptions as predictors of caregiver burden. Gerontologist 1988; 28: 79–83.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Yancik R. Coping with hospice work stress. J Psychosoc Oncol 1984; 2: 19–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Foner N. Nursing home aides: saints or monsters? Gerontologist 1994; 34: 245–50.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Dewe PJ. Identifying the causes of nurses’ stress: A survey of New Zealand nurses. Work Stress 1987; 1: 15–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Coffey LC, Skipper JK, Jung FD. Nurses and shift work: effects on job performance and job related stress. J Adv Nurs 1988; 13: 245–54.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wallace JE, Brinkerhoff MB. The measurement of burnout revisited. J Soc Serv Res 1991; 14: 85–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Barber CE, Iwai M. Role conflict and role ambiguity as predictors of burnout among staff caring for elderly dementia patients. J Gerontol Soc Work 1996; 26: 101–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Kruzich JM. Empowering organizational context: patterns and predictors of perceived decision-making influence among staff in nursing homes. Gerontologist 1995; 35: 207–16.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. De-Jonge J, Schaufeli WB. Job characteristics and employee well-being: A test of Warr’s Vitamin Model in health care workers using structural equation modelling. J Org Behav 1998; 19: 387–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. De-Jonge J, Janssen PPM, Breuklen GJP. Testing the Demand-Control-Support Model among health-care professionals: A structural equation model. Work Stress 1996; 10: 209–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Vaux A. Social support. In Encyclopedia of Psychology. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1994: Vol. 3, 444–446.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Cohen S, Wills TA. Stress social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychol Bull 1985; 2: 310–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Carels RA, Baucom DH. Support in marriage: factors associated with on line perception of helpfulness. J Fam Psychol 1999; 13: 131–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. McInstosh N. Identification and investigation of properties of social support. J Org Behav 1991; 12: 201–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Constable LF, Russell DW. The effect of social support and the work environment upon burnout among nurses. J Human Stress 1986; 12: 20–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Eastburg MC, Williamson M, Gorsuch R, Ridley C. Social support, personality, and burnout in nurses. J Appl Soc Psychol 1994; 24: 1233–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Pearlin LI, Mullan JT, Semple SJ, Skaff MM. Caregiving and the stress process: An overview of concepts and their measures. Gerontologist 1990; 30: 583–91.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Yeatts DE, Seward RR. Reducing turnover and improving health care in nursing homes: the potential effects of self managed work teams. Gerontologist 2000; 40: 358–63.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Goodridge DM, Johnston P, Thomson M. Conflict and aggression as stressors in the work environment of nursing assistants: Implications for institutional elder abuse. J Elder Abuse Neglect 1996; 8: 49–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Fitzpatric PG. Turnover of certified nursing assistants: a major problem for long-term care facilities. Hospital Topics 2002; 80: 21–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Morgan DG, Semchuk KM, Stewart NJ, D’Arcy C. Job strain among staff of rural nursing homes. JONA 2002; 32: 152–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Bowers BJ, Esmond S, Jacobson N. Turnover reinterpreted: CNAs talk about why they leave. J Gerontol Nurs 2003; 29: 36–43.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Karasek RA. Job demands, job decision latitude, and mental strain: implications for job design. Adm Sci Q 1979; 24: 285–308.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Van Dongen E. It isn’t something to yodel about, but it exists! Faces, nurses, social relations and status within a mental hospital. Aging Ment Health 2001; 5: 205–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Banaszak-Holl J, Hines MA. Factors associated with nursing home staff turnover. Gerontologist 1996; 36: 512–17.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Burack OR, Chichin ER. A support group for nursing assistants: caring for nursing home residents at the end of life. Geriatr Nurs 2001; 22: 299–305.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Parsons SK, Simmons WP, Penn K, Furlough M. Determinants of satisfaction and turnover among nursing assistants. The results of a statewide survey. J Gerontol Nurs 2003; 29: 51–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Gray-Toft P, Anderson JG. Organizational stress in the hospital: development of a model for diagnosis and prediction. Health Sci Res 1985; 19: 753–74.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa, 31905, Israel

    Pnina Ron PhD

Authors
  1. Pnina Ron PhD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pnina Ron PhD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ron, P. Relations between work stressors and well-being among nursing assistants in nursing homes. Aging Clin Exp Res 20, 359–367 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324869

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324869

Key words

Search

Navigation