Patterns and trends of nurses' well-being and patient outcomes in the Journal of Nursing Management.

Abstract

The aim of this presentation is to provide a brief overview of general patterns and trends in publications in the Journal of Nursing Management with a focus on nurses' well-being and patient outcomes in the Journal of Nursing Management and to suggest ways in which this information could be utilised to inform the future strategic direction of and future research and publications within this topic. A search within the Scopus database (August 2021) revealed that there have been 2,911 publications in Journal of Nursing Management since it's foundation in 1993. Most of these papers are research articles (80%% n=2,343), predominantly from countries with English fluency. A search within Journal the using the CINAHL database (August 2021) using key search terms related to nurses, wellbeing, patient outcomes and patient satisfaction revealed 57 papers concerned, broadly speaking, with nurses' well-being. Two further papers were identified that related to nurses' well-being and patient satisfaction and one that explored well-being and patient outcomes. However, none of these three later papers explored the relationship between nurses' well-being and patient outcomes or satisfaction in any meaningful way, rather the discussion related to both concepts (outcomes and satisfaction) was broadly discussed, alluding to a relationship but not providing any concrete evidence of this. Emerging themes within the 57 papers were as follows: sources and effects of dissatisfaction and stress among nurses; effects of COVID; influencing factors; supportive factors and values-based leadership. Two approaches to measurement of nurse well-being were noted, a demand-support-control model (Alfaro-Díaz et al 2020) and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (Cilar et al 2020). The findings also revealed that discussions on this topic within the Journal took place in the last two decades, with the first paper emerging in 2001. The majority of papers were published in the last 5 years. Nurses' well-being was generally not referred to specifically, but rather explored and/or discussed within the context of satisfaction/dissatisfaction and/or stress.