Organizational, employment, and professional influences on role conflict in work injury treatment for occupational health nurses.

Abstract

Nurses in occupational health frequently confront situations in which demands from their employers and their patients are in conflict. This study investigated the factors influencing perception of role conflict in work injury treatment due to these conflicting demands. Further, the study examined nurses' behavioral intentions for worker-agency and organizational-agency actions. Role conflict and agency theory were used to identify predictors of role conflict and behavioral intentions. Three main areas were expected to influence the dependent variables, (1) the discrepancy in interests and/or demands between the bureaucracy and the profession with respect to work injury treatment, (2) exposure to the discrepancy, and (3) the importance of bureaucratic interests and professional interests. Two sources were used for data: (1) a sample survey of Certified Occupational Health Nurses and (2) public sources for size and financial trends. Analysis of behavioral intentions was not conducted because of measurement problems. Overall, 81 percent of the sample responded. Of these, 78 percent were eligible for the study. The final sample analyzed was 267 cases, and 170 had data for analysis of financial trends. Overall, the perception of conflict was rather limited. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that significant predictors for role conflict in work injury treatment were employer disability practices, which decreased conflict, time in work injury treatment, which increased conflict, and the set of responsibility level variables. Professional orientation was not significant, nor were financial trends. The low perception of conflict may be the result of a selectivity bias in the population of nurses who work under these conditions. Conflict may also be discounted by the nurses, and they may develop coping mechanisms to deal with conflict when it occurs. The immediate work environment influences conflict, while professional training or education does not.