The Impact of the Working Hours Among Malaysian Nurses on Their Ill-Being, Intention to Leave, and the Perceived Quality of Care: A Cross-Sectional Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Purpose This study explores the effect of working duration on nurses and their ill-being (ie, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleepiness), intention to leave, and the quality of nursing care. Methods A questionnaire survey was employed for a convenience sample of 400 nurses at Malacca General Hospital in Malaysia who voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional study. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to treat and analyze the data. Descriptive statistics were generated, and Post Hoc analyses and ANOVA tests were conducted. Results Findings indicated that working hours duration was significantly associated with nurses’ anxiety (F (4, 394) = 10.362, p <0.001), depression (F (4, 395) = 23.041, p< 0.001), fatigue (F (4, 395) = 24.232, p< 0.001), sleepiness (F (4, 395) = 4.324, p < 0.002), quality of nursing care (F (4, 395) = 16.21, p <0.001) and intention leave their job, (F (4, 395) = 50.29, p <0.001). The results also revealed that working more than 14 hours was negatively associated with their perceived quality of nursing care and positively associated with their perceived ill-being and intention to leave. Conclusion Shift length is an important issue, and nursing managers must consider shift length as it can adversely correlate with the nurses’ perceptions of work and life.

Identification of behavioural changes in reporting adverse events early during COVID‐19: An ambulatory care perspective in Israel

“…The COVID-19 pandemic directly hit three of these six functions: health workforce, medical products and service delivery. 9,11,16 Health workforces which rely on high-quality, properly trained personnel for performance of medical tasks, are required as a critical function for ensuring proper treatment to patients during a sensitive period such as COVID-19. 13 Shortage of qualified staff, as well as inexperience operating key medical instruments, can undermine provision of service within medical frameworks.…”

“…When these functions are exposed to shocks and changes, health systems may be unable to cope with the pressure and could stop functioning effectively and perhaps even collapse. The COVID‐19 pandemic directly hit three of these six functions: health workforce, medical products and service delivery 9,11,16 …”

“…8 During the first stages of the pandemic, medical systems suffered from significant shortages of human resources and equipment, such as respiratory machines, which were a necessary instrument and, at the time, the best way to deal with severe cases. [9][10][11][12] In Israel, the potential collapse of the health system became a concern, since many Western countries already experienced that occurrence due to their inability to cope with vast numbers of patients that needed resuscitation. However, some of the concern was mitigated by the unique community health system of Israel, managed by four health maintenance organisations (HMOs).…”

“…Health frameworks and institutions dealt with substantial and unexpected loads, which included great medical complexity, and often, unknown or experimental treatment regimens 8 . During the first stages of the pandemic, medical systems suffered from significant shortages of human resources and equipment, such as respiratory machines, which were a necessary instrument and, at the time, the best way to deal with severe cases 9–12 . In Israel, the potential collapse of the health system became a concern, since many Western countries already experienced that occurrence due to their inability to cope with vast numbers of patients that needed resuscitation.…”

Decent work, work engagement, and turnover intention among registered nurses: a cross-sectional study

“…The average score reflecting nurses' likelihood to leave increased from 13.24 to 15.54 [1], suggesting a heightened inclination toward professional disengagement. What is even more concerning is the inadequate protection of nurses' working conditions [2], including extended working hours [3], high job-related stress levels [4], and workplace violence [5]. It is evident that traditional research perspectives often confine themselves to specific manifestations of professional challenges faced by nurses, overlooking considerations related to dignity, rights, fairness, and overall development in the workplace.…”