title: Role clarity and role conflict among Swedish diabetes specialist nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore diabetes specialist nurses (DSNs)' perceptions of their role in terms of clarity, conflict and other psychosocial work aspects.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted among DSNs in a county in northern Sweden. The DSNs answered the Nordic Questionnaire of Psychological and Social Factors at Work (QPS Nordic) about psychosocial aspects of their work. Statistical analysis compared DSNs with a reference group of different health professionals. Correlations between role clarity, role conflict, and other variables were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DSNs perceived more, and higher, job demands, including quantitative, decision-making and learning demands, but also more positive challenges at work compared with the reference group. Role clarity correlated with experiences of health promotion, perception of mastery, co-worker support, and empowering leadership, while role conflict correlated with quantitative and learning demands.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DSNs perceived high demands but also positive challenges in their work. Their role expectations correlated with several psychosocial work aspects. It is important that DSNs should be presented with positive challenges as meaningful incentives for further role development and enhanced mastery of their work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. Electronic address: eva.bostrom@nurs.umu.se.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Boström
authors.forename: Asa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hörnsten
authors.forename: Berit
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lundman
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stenlund
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Isaksson
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000451:nursing*; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007587:Job Description; D007857:Leadership; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010465:Perception; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Diabetes specialist nurse; Psychosocial work aspects; Role clarity; Role conflict