The Nursing Worklife Model: Extending and Refining a New Theory

Authors

Milisa Manojlovich, University of Michigan
Heather Laschinger, The University of Western Ontario

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-2007

Journal

Journal of Nursing Management

Volume

15

Issue

3

First Page

256

Last Page

263

URL with Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2007.00670.x

Abstract

AIMS: We tested a modification of Leiter and Laschinger's Nursing Worklife Model by examining the impact of structural empowerment on professional work environment factors that lead to nursing job satisfaction. BACKGROUND: The original model explains how five magnet hospital practice domains described by Lake (2002) interact to influence nurses' work lives by either contributing to or mitigating burnout. METHODS: A non-experimental design was used. Five hundred randomly selected nurses in Michigan were surveyed (response rate 66%, n = 332). Instruments included the Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, and the Index of Work Satisfaction. Path analysis was used to test the model. RESULTS: The final model fit the data well (chi2 = 96.4, d.f. = 10, NFI: 0.90, CFI: 0.43, RMSEA: 0.18), supporting both hypotheses. CONCLUSIONS: The expanded Nursing Worklife Model demonstrates the role of empowerment in creating positive practice conditions that contribute to job satisfaction.