Quality of work life of nurses working at tertiary health care institution: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background: Quality Work Life is the quality of relationship between employees and the total working environment. Nurses are the largest group of employees in health care organization. QWL of nurses is influenced by many factors. Objectives of the study were to know the perceptions about QWL and the factors contributing in QWL of nurses working in Government Medical College and Hospital, Yavatmal. Methods: A present cross sectional study was carried out in 100 randomly selected nurses working at tertiary heath care institution. A composite scale was used for assessment of QWL in nurses. Descriptive statistics were calculated and independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA was used to determine the relationship between quality of work life and other demographic variables. Results: Mean age ± SD of study participants was 39 ± 9 years. The majority (>70%) of nurse respondents indicated that they were satisfied with items in the dimension of work environment life. Quality of work life in terms of organizational culture; 78% have received cooperation from respective department. However, 61% were unsatisfied due to gender discrimination. Significant differences (P<0.05) were found according to education, marital status, work experience, night shifts, per capita per month income, and support from family members. Conclusions: This research provides an initial step in understanding the work life of nurses in a tertiary health care setting. The present study showed that nurses' quality of work life is at the moderate level. This study also reveals significant association with socio-demographic characteristics of nurses and QWL.