Implementing group training may improve the psychological capital, occupational benefits, and job satisfaction of nurses in infusion centers.
Recent research suggests there has been increasing psychological pressure for infusion nurses due to a lack of human resources. “It’s important for physicians to recognize that infusion center nurses need to be able to endure high work intensity and high occupational exposure risk,” says Lejun Xing, BS.
Several factors can influence perceptions among infusion center nurses, including psychological capital, occupational benefits, and job satisfaction. Psychological capital theory refers to a positive state of mind and includes hope, resilience, optimism, and self-efficacy. Occupational benefits refer to positive emotional experiences on what nurses perceive in the work environment. Job satisfaction has been identified as a key contributor that can affect the stability of a nursing team and may impact overall nursing quality.
Analyzing Effects of a Psychological Capital Theory Intervention
For a study published in Alternate Therapies in Health and Medicine, Xing and colleagues investigated the influence of group training on nursing staff’s psychological capital, occupational benefits, and job satisfaction. The researchers performed a prospective randomized controlled study of nurses working in an infusion center in 2021. Nurses were randomly assigned to an intervention group or control group .
Nurses in the intervention cohort received group training based on the psychological capital theory, which included training sessions on building hope, cultivating optimism, improving self-efficacy, and enhancing resilience. The intervention guided nurses on how to adjust their mental state and master work skills, develop an open and positive attitude when communicating with peers or physicians, jointly create a harmonious and healthy working environment, and cultivate a stable attitude in the workplace. Nurses in the control group received a routine psychological intervention.
Group Training Intervention Yields Positive Results
At baseline, the study team observed no statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups based on scores relating to psychological capital, occupational benefits, or job satisfaction. “However, nurses in the intervention group had significantly higher scores for psychological capital in the domains of hope, resilience, optimism, self-efficacy, and total psychological capital score,” says Xing (Table).
In addition, nurses in the intervention group had higher scores on assessments for occupational benefits, which included career perception, a sense of belonging to a team, and career benefit total score. The intervention group also had higher scores for job satisfaction regarding occupational recognition, personal development, relationships with colleagues, the work itself, workload, management, family and work balance, and total score for job satisfaction.
The study team noted no significant differences between the intervention and control groups for occupational benefits in the domains of building an identity of relatives and friends, self-growth, or nurse-patient relationships. Regarding job satisfaction, the team observed no significant differences in the domains of salary or benefits.
Psychological Capital Theory May Improve Infusion Center Care
According to the investigators, implementing group training based on psychological capital theory may improve the psychological capital, occupational benefits, and job satisfaction of nurses in infusion centers. “Such interventions can provide nurses with internal motivation to become more resilient, have a more positive attitude, and develop a strong ability to cope with work pressures and setbacks,” Xing says. Beyond improving workflow processes at infusion centers, group training interventions might also help nurses gain more professional skills and job satisfaction.
Physicians are encouraged to take part in improving the current situation for nurses in infusion therapy centers and formulate strategies that consider each nurse’s best characteristics so that he or she can experience the real benefits of their occupation, says Xing. Several strategies may help infusion therapy nurses have a greater appreciation for their job, such as conducting regular psychological interventions, formulating incentive mechanisms, and providing convenient conditions for nurses to study.
