The Relationship Among Change Fatigue, Resilience, and Job Satisfaction of Hospital Staff Nurses

Abstract

The study advanced the nursing knowledge on change fatigue, resilience, and job satisfaction of staff nurses working in acute care hospitals. Engaging in strategies aimed at preventing change fatigue in nursing staff can enhance workplace environments, job satisfaction, and retention of nurses.

Change fatigue: The frontline nursing experience of large‐scale organisational change and the influence of teamwork

“…The relationship between graduate nurses and existing staff with longer tenure is considerably different in this study, with more experienced and longer servicing staff reporting much higher levels of change fatigue than their graduate colleagues. These results are similar to Brown () whose multicentre study of staff (frontline) registered nurses ( n = 489) found significant differences in the experience of change fatigue using the CFS between novice nurses (less than two years’ experience, M = 21.2) and experienced nurses (greater than two years experience, M = 23.6). Both this study and Brown () identify that supports are needed for experienced and senior frontline nursing staff who are at a greater risk of change fatigue.…”

“…These results are similar to Brown (2016) whose multicentre study of staff (frontline) registered nurses (n = 489) found significant differences in the experience of change fatigue using the CFS between novice nurses (less than two years' experience, M = 21.2) and experienced nurses (greater than two years experience, M = 23.6). Both this study andBrown (2016) identify that supports are needed for experienced and senior frontline nursing staff who are at a greater risk of change fatigue. Bendaly (2012) described how well-developed teams are able to manage their attitudes to change effectively to carry out their roles in dynamic environments beyond their control.…”

“…Change fatigue is a phenomenon that represents the overwhelming feeling of stress, exhaustion and burnout associated with rapid and continuous change in the workplace (McMillan & Perron, 2013). The concepts of "change fatigue" and "excessive change" appear within the literature pertaining to a variety of industries and identify the adverse effects of repeated or poorly managed change initiatives, or where changes are implemented without opportunity for a period of recovery or stabilization (Bernerth, Walker, & Harris, 2011;Brown, 2016;Ead, 2015;Johnson et al, 2016;McMillan & Perron, 2013;Stensaker & Meyer, 2012;Vestel, 2013;Winter, 2013). Change Fatigue can develop over time and has a compounding effect on existing change stressors, produces symptoms of fatigue and burnout, affects team commitment, staff wellbeing and quality of patient care (Bernerth et al, 2011;Ead, 2015;McMillan & Perron, 2013;Szumilas, 2015).…”

High resilience leads to better work performance in nurses: Evidence from South Asia

“…Wie et al () state that ‘Resilience in nurses is a skill that they can learn and possess to survive and thrive in the face of adversities at work’. In concurrence, Brown () in a sample of 535 staff nurses from Australia elicited a significant positive correlation of resilience with job satisfaction. It is therefore imperative to explore further the impact of resilience on the work performance of nurses.…”

“…During last few years, evidence has increasingly accumulated on the impact of work resilience on reducing the negative outcomes of workplace, such as stress, burnout, depression and anxiety (Gito, Ihara, & Ogata, 2013;Mak & Wong, 2011;Mealer et al, 2012). However, only a limited number of studies were found in the literature, which investigated the association between high resilience and positive outcomes including better work performance, job satisfaction and low absenteeism (Brown, 2016;Luthans, Avey, Avolio & Peterson, 2010;Kappagoda, Othman, & Alwis, 2014). Of these, Kappagoda et al (2014) and Luthans et al (2010) have used a tool which assessed a broader concept called 'psychological capital' (Psy Cap), of which resilience was one of the four sub-elements.…”