title: Work ability and work-related stress: A cross-sectional study of obstetrical nurses in urban northeastern Ontario.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to determine: 1) if quality of work life (QWL), location of cross-training, stress variables, and various demographic factors in nurses are associated with work ability, and 2) nursing occupational stress, QWL, and various associated factors are related with nurses' work ability. There is limited research examining the obstetrical nursing environment. Given the amount of time and energy people expend at the workplace, it is crucial for employees to be satisfied with their lives at work.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross sectional study was conducted in 2012 in four hospitals in northeastern Ontario, Canada. A stratified random sample of registered nurses (n= 111) were selected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of participants were female (94.6%) ranging in age from 24 to 64 years (M = 41.9, s.d. = 10.2). For the stress and QWL model, one variable: QWL (home-work support - see Methods for definition) (p= 0.015), cross-trained (see Methods for definition) nurses (p= 0.048), and having more than 4 patients per shift (p= 0.024) significantly contributed to the variance in work ability scores. In the logistic regression model, the odds of a higher work ability for nurses who received home-work support were estimated to be 1.32 (95% CI, 1.06 to 1.66) times the odds of a higher work ability for nurses who did not receive home-work support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Work ability in the work environment of obstetrical nursing is important. To be high functioning, workplaces should maximize the use of their employees' actual and potential skills.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary PhD Program, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.|School of Rural and Northern Health, Social Work, Nursing, and Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Behdin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nowrouzi
authors.affiliation: School of Rural and Northern Health, Social Work, Nursing, and Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lightfoot
authors.affiliation: Centre for Flexible Teaching and Learning, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: School of Human Kinetics and Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larivière
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rural and Northern and Health Research, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rukholm
authors.affiliation: School of Human Kinetics and Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schinke
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences North, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Belanger-Gardner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009773:Obstetric Nursing / Q000193:education; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D009864:Ontario; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D019037:Urban Health Services; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Stress; employment; nurses; obstetrics; quality of work life; work ability; work organization; workplace