Effects of network development on attitudes towards work and well-being at work among health care staff in northern Finland.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of network development between primary and special health care units on attitudes towards work and well-being at work among health care staff.


METHODS
A prospective quasi-experimental design with intervention (n=33) and control (n=23) groups. This 2-year pilot intervention study was implemented in 14 health centres and 4 hospitals in northern Finland.


METHODS
The material was gathered via self-reported questionnaires from the health care staff at baseline and 1 follow-up. The intervention was composed of regional networking, self-ruling teamwork, staff education and guidance for the multiprofessional teams consisting of participants from primary and special health care units. The objective of these teams was to construct and disseminate regional models of patient education for the service process of 6 patient groups: cardiovascular, COPD, total joint replacement, cerebral infarction, cancer and chronic ulcer patients.


RESULTS
The network development intervention had positive effects on attitudes towards work concerning organizational commitment, occupational commitment and growth satisfaction. The positive effects were also found in well-being at work, measured by absorption. The results are encouraging, although the study failed to demonstrate statistically significant improvements in other attitude and well-being outcomes that were measured.


CONCLUSIONS
Network development intervention particularly improved positive attitudes towards work among health care staff. Although randomized controlled trials are needed, regional network development between health centres and hospitals is recommended when the goal is positive attitudes towards work and well-being at work in sparsely populated and rural areas.
Kanste
Outi
O
Oulu Arc, Micropolis, 91100 Ii, Finland. outi.kanste@oulunkaari.com
Lipponen
Kaija
K
Kääriäinen
Maria
M
Kyngäs
Helvi
H
D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult