Health-promoting work schedules in nurses and nurse assistants. Results from the nationwide AMADEUS survey

Abstract

Aim. To determine which long schedules are associated with the better self-reported work conditions and health risky behaviors in Healthcare workers (HCWs). Background. HCWs can work with 7-hour, 5 days/weeks or with long work schedules (ten to 12-hour, 3days/week). Methods. A survey was sent to public and private national healthcare facilities. The method followed the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement guidelines. Work environment was measured using the Job Content Questionnaire and Burnout using the French version of the 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) scale. Results. 3133 HCWs were recruited: 2369(75.6%) nurses and 764(24.4%) nurse assistants, of those 1811 (57.8%) (1366 nurses and 445 nurse assistants) had a 7-hour schedule and 1322 (42.2%) (1003 nurses and 319 nurse assistants) had a long work schedule. In multivariate analyses, HCWs working with a long schedule reported significantly higher rates of High psychological demand, Burnout, number of daily smoked cigarettes, coffee consumption and reported more frequently sleeping less than 5 hours/night independently of working in public sector, Hospital (vs. medico-social facility), having a full-time job, constant schedules, planned schedules, night shift job, working in medical specialty/psychiatry/critical care department, age, being partnered or having children at home. Conclusions. Some HCWs may prefer long schedules to get more resting days. However, nurses and nurse assistants working with these schedules report higher burden of work conditions and worse health risky behaviors aiming at counteracting this burden. Implications for Nursing Management. Health-promoting work schedules should be taken into account to improve high psychological demand and burnout in HCWs with long schedules.