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Nurses quality of work life: scale development and validation

Nanjundeswaraswamy TS (Mechanical Engineering, JSS Academy of Technical Education, Bangalore, India)

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences

ISSN: 1026-4116

Article publication date: 25 February 2021

Issue publication date: 20 April 2022

626

Abstract

Purpose

This is a systematically conducted study to design, develop and validate a measuring instrument to assess the nurses quality of work life (QWL) and determine the vital components of nurses' QWL.

Design/methodology/approach

In this methodical study, vital dimensions of nurses QWL are identified using Pareto analysis; data and information were collected from 474 nurses through the structured questionnaire. By conducting exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the number of dimensions and items was reduced. Through the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using SPSS 21 software, nine predominant dimensions were confirmed, they are work environment, working condition, work–life balance, compensation, relationship and cooperation, stress at work, job satisfaction, career development and organization culture. Additional structural equation modeling (SEM) was done to determine the interrelationships between extracted nine components using AMOS. By performing different statistical tests like reliability test, content validity, construct validity, convergent, divergent validity and multicollinearity, the proposed nine-component nurses QWL instrument was validated.

Findings

The proposed measurement model explained 73.18% of total variance; reliability of the instrument Cronbach's alpha value is 0.902. Model fit indices like chi-square df (CMIN) = 685, df = 523, CMIN/DF = 1.310, goodness-of-fit index (GFI) = 0.965, adjusted goodness-of-fit index (AGFI) = 0.937, parsimony goodness-of-fit index (PGFI) = 0.918, incremental fir index (IFI) = 0.933, Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.921, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.931 and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.036 fulfill the acceptable criteria. The nine factors nurses QWL measuring instrument is reliable and statistically valid.

Research limitations/implications

Data were collected from 474 nurses, poor responses and time constraints.

Practical implications

Hospitals are trying to improve the quality of patient caring by enhancing the nurses' skill sets, knowledge and attitude to meet global challenges. In this unstable business environment, hospitals face challenges like the high attrition rate and skilled nurses shortage. In this scenario, this study provides a valid instrument to measure the QWL of nurses to know the status of QWL, which will help to build a strategic plan to improve retention rate and to attract the talented workforce to the hospitals.

Originality/value

As a result, the scale developed in this study contributes to the body of the literature on nurses QWL. It seems to be more advantageous for carrying out further research in this field.

Keywords

Citation

TS, N. (2022), "Nurses quality of work life: scale development and validation", Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 371-394. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEAS-09-2020-0154

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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