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Work-related resources and demands predicting the psychological well-being of staff in children’s hospices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 November 2023

Andre Bedendo Open the ORCID record for Andre Bedendo [Opens in a new window] ,
Andrew Papworth ,
Jo Taylor ,
Bryony Beresford ,
Suzanne Mukherjee ,
Lorna K. Fraser  and
Lucy Ziegler Open the ORCID record for Lucy Ziegler [Opens in a new window]
Andre Bedendo
Affiliation:
Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
Andrew Papworth
Affiliation:
School for Business and Society, University of York, York, UK
Jo Taylor
Affiliation:
Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, UK
Bryony Beresford
Affiliation:
School for Business and Society, University of York, York, UK Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York, UK
Suzanne Mukherjee
Affiliation:
School for Business and Society, University of York, York, UK Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, York, UK
Lorna K. Fraser
Affiliation:
Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, King’s College London, London, UK
Lucy Ziegler*
Affiliation:
School of Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
*
Corresponding author: Lucy Ziegler; Email: l.e.ziegler@leeds.ac.uk
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Abstract

Objectives

This study assessed the work-related resources and demands experienced by children’s hospice staff to help identify staff support systems and organizational practices that offer the most potential to prevent staff burnout and enhance well-being at work.

Methods

The relationships between individual and organizational characteristics, work-related resources and demands, and burnout and work engagement outcomes experienced by children’s hospice staff were explored using two surveys: the Children’s Hospice Staff survey, completed by UK children’s hospice staff, and the Children’s Hospice Organisation and Management survey, completed by the Heads of Care. We used structural equation modeling to assess the relationships between the variables derived from the survey measures and to test a model underpinned by the Job Demands-Resource (JD-R) theory.

Results

There were 583 staff responses from 32 hospices, and 414 participants provided valid data for burnout and work engagement outcome measures. Most participants were females (95.4%), aged 51–65 years old (31.3%), and had more than 15 years of experience in life-limiting conditions (29.7%). The average score for burnout was 32.5 (SD: 13.1), and the average score for work engagement was 7.5 (SD: 1.5). The structural model validity showed good fit. Demands significantly predicted burnout (b = 4.65, p ≤ 0.001), and resources predicted work engagement (b = 3.09, p ≤ 0.001). The interaction between resources and demands only predicted work engagement (b = −0.31, p = 0.115). Burnout did not predict work engagement (b = −0.09, p = 0.194).

Significance of results

The results partly supported the JD-R model, with a clear association between resources and work engagement, even when the demands were considered. Demands were only directly associated with burnout. The findings also identified a set of the most relevant aspects related to resources and demands, which can be used to assess and improve staff psychological well-being in children’s hospices in the UK.

Keywords

Well-beingburnoutwork engagementresourcesdemands
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 21 , Issue 6 , December 2023 , pp. 1024 - 1033
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press.

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