Workplace Assertiveness of Filipino Hospital Staff Nurses: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Several studies have demonstrated the significance of assertiveness in the nursing profession. However, there is a lacuna in the literature regarding the level of workplace assertiveness of Filipino nurses.Purpose: This study determined the workplace assertiveness towards nursing colleagues, nursing management personnel, medical doctors, and other members of the health team among hospital staff nurses.Methods: The data in this cross-sectional study were collected from randomly selected staff nurses (n=223) involving two tertiary hospitals in the Philippines using the Workplace Assertive Behavior Questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and tests for differences were used to analyze the data.Results: Results showed that staff nurses had moderate workplace assertiveness. They were less assertive towards the nursing management personnel, and were less likely to provide constructive criticisms and say no to requests. Assertiveness significantly varied based on employment status (p=.001), age (p=.046), years of nursing work experience (p=.037), and years in the present organization (p=.022). A sense of responsibility to patients was the main facilitator while reprimand and fear of repercussions from the nursing management personnel were the major barriers to assertive behaviors.Conclusion: Personal and work environmental factors can inhibit or support assertiveness. This study highlighted some gaps in Filipino staff nurses’ assertiveness at work. Nursing management plays a pivotal role in nurses’ assertiveness. Efforts should be made to address the barriers and improve the assertiveness of staff nurses.

Cyberincivility among Filipino Nursing Students in a public university: knowledge, experience, and acceptability

“…On the other hand, the study by Kim et al (2020) among three countries showed a mean score of 2.15 in cyberincivility experience, which was higher than this study. Asian culture is generally less assertive (Oducado & Montaño, 2021).…”

Competitiveness a Masculinity-Femininity Cultural Dimension and Multinational Corporations’ Performance in Uganda

“…For example, from positive view, Employees with work assertiveness behavior usually are bold at requesting their workmates to put in extra effort to execute work tasks for an organization and the workmates comply, it leads to better organizational performance (Hamouda, Eid & Abd-Alla 2018). Employees with work assertiveness behavior if they sense that the manner they are handling organizational work tasks is not the best, they usually tend to apply an alternative approach and this may help in solving the problem leading to better organizational performance (Oducado & Montaño 2021). Work assertiveness behavior of an employee increases the confidence of that employee in executing organizational tasks leading to better organizational performance (Hamouda et al 2018).…”

“…Work assertiveness behavior of an employee increases the confidence of that employee in executing organizational tasks leading to better organizational performance (Hamouda et al 2018). However, on a negative side, workmates may misinterpret an employee with work assertiveness behavior in terms of such an employee being coercive towards them when he/she boldly requests them to put in extra effort to execute organizational tasks (Oducado & Montaño 2021). In such a situation, the workmates of the employee with work assertiveness behavior may resort to act indifferently by not doing as requested by the employee with work assertiveness behavior leading to poor organizational performance.…”

“…In such a situation, the workmates of the employee with work assertiveness behavior may resort to act indifferently by not doing as requested by the employee with work assertiveness behavior leading to poor organizational performance. In addition, the workmates may misinterpret an employee with work assertiveness behavior in terms of such an employee trying to show off that he/she is better at executing organizational work tasks (Oducado & Montaño 2021). As such, they may not cooperate with such an employee and instead, they let such an employee go ahead to handle the organizational tasks by himself/herself and this will lead to poor organizational performance (Oducado & Montaño 2021).…”

“…In addition, the workmates may misinterpret an employee with work assertiveness behavior in terms of such an employee trying to show off that he/she is better at executing organizational work tasks (Oducado & Montaño 2021). As such, they may not cooperate with such an employee and instead, they let such an employee go ahead to handle the organizational tasks by himself/herself and this will lead to poor organizational performance (Oducado & Montaño 2021). Ogunyemi (2022) found that masculinity culture significantly affected the performance of Nestle Nigerian PLC.…”