This is a cross-sectional study of survey data collected in 2009 from 7923 healthcare workers across 325 work settings within 16 hospitals of a faith-based health system on the West Coast of the USA. Of these work settings, 319 had five or more respondents. Of these 319 work settings, 292 (92%) provided sufficient data for analysis of WLB, in that every respondent answered at least five of the seven questions regarding WLB items. This was a survey conducted every 18 months that included a variety of safety culture, employee engagement and WLB-related items. All staff with a 50% or greater full-time equivalent commitment to a specific patient care area for at least four consecutive weeks prior to survey administration were invited to complete the questionnaire, regardless of their involvement in patient safety endeavours. This included staff physicians, registered nurses (RN), charge nurses, nurse managers, physician assistants/nurse practitioners, licensed vocational nurses (LVN)/licensed practicing nurses (LPN), hospital aides, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, technicians, ward clerks/unit secretaries, medical administrators and others. All work settings within each hospital and its affiliated ambulatory clinics were asked to participate. Paper surveys were administered and collected during pre-existing departmental and staff meetings.
The survey was comprised of demographic items, the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ),11 (link) intention-to-leave items, burnout items,12 depression items (CESD-10)13 (link) and items pertaining to WLB behaviours. Together, these instruments constituted the ‘survey’ administered across all 16 hospitals. The SAQ is a psychometrically sound instrument for assessing safety-related climate domains regarding safety, teamwork, job satisfaction, stress recognition, perception of management and working conditions by systematically seeking input from front-line caregivers.11 (link)