Predictors of Quality of Nursing Care: The Influence of Work Conditions and Burnout.

BACKGROUND: Rapid advances in health sciences and technology have led to massive changes in health care systems particularly in terms of work overload and job stress, which increased health related errors and in turn negatively affected the quality of care.

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to explore the influence of nurses' burnout, nurses' characteristics and work related conditions on the quality of nursing care.

METHODS: A cross-sectional correlational designs were employed. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 270 registered nurse participants. Completed MBIs were matched to 270 Service Quality Scale (SERVQUAL) questionnaires which were completed by patient participants who received care by those nurses who completed MBIs during their hospitalization. Nurse and patient participants were recruited from eight hospitals in Jordan.

RESULTS: A stepwise regression model was significant for three variables (hospital type, census rate, and rotating shift worked). These variables were accounted for approximately 58% of the variance in the quality of nursing care. Although burnout and some nurses' characteristics were having a significant moderate correlation with the quality of nursing care, but they were not having a significant prediction performance of the quality of nursing care in selected Jordanian hospitals.

CONCLUSION: This study provides an insight for leaders in health care organizations that "work conditions" is the main factor influencing different work variables. Improvement in work conditions may decrease burnout, and consequently increase quality of care provided.