How Does Intensive Care Unit Nurses' Work Become More Efficient - Essay Example

Research Critique Today, most health care organizations, have shifted their focus from work processes towards the contribution of the human element in ensuring the achievement of set objectives. As such, most organizations are involved in processes that ensure employees are well motivated, professionally equipped and are comfortable in their work environment. These factors are critical to the health care industry, particularly in the nursing sector, where these factors can make a difference in the overall health of the patient. Alongside this, scholars and researchers alike have also been involved in research activities, to examine and gather literature on the role of the human factor in ensuring better patient outcomes. This paper makes a critical analysis of one research conducted on a similar issue. The research titled”How Efficacy Beliefs predict Collaborative Practice: a Two-wave Study among Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Nurses” was conducted by a team of researchers namely Pascale M. Le Blanc, Raoul E. Nap, Marisa Salanova, Susana Llorens and Wilmar B. Schaufeli  (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). In the research, LeBlanc et al (2010) sought to find out how efficacy beliefs i.e. professional competences and work team commitments among intensive care unit nurses affected the quality of collaborative practice between these nurses and physicians (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). The study was conducted on the foundation that past research has shown the existence of a relationship between professional efficacy and superior work behaviors. However, these observations were not specific to the healthcare industry. Hence, upon this background, the study by LeBlanc et al (2010) aimed to integrate these findings into the healthcare industry, particularly in the intensive care unit. The research was intended to add to the already existing knowledge that efficacy beliefs are jointly correlated to work resource and positive work behaviors and that the level of affective commitment to work team among nurses is correlated to superior intensive care unit performance outcomes (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). Particularly, the study hoped to strengthen efficacy beliefs among intensive care unit nurses which would in turn lead to improved collaborative practice (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). According to the researchers, the study has significant implications in the healthcare industry since it encourages institutions to provide appropriate resources to the ICU nurses, in order to improve both patient and organizational outcomes (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). The main purpose of the study by LeBlanc et al (2010) was to establish whether the efficacy beliefs held by the Intensive care unit nurses envisaged potential collaborative practices and to investigate whether team commitment played a key role in the development of the relationship between efficacy beliefs and collaborative practices (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). Consequently, the study was guided by two hypotheses, including Hypothesis 1 which stated “team commitment mediates the relationship between Intensive care unit nurses efficacy beliefs and collaborative practice” (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). Hypothesis 2 stated “efficacy beliefs, team commitment, and collaborative practice are reciprocally related” (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). Hypothesis 2 was further divided into two parts including Hypothesis 2a that stated “team commitment lead to stronger efficacy beliefs and Hypothesis 2b that stated  “collaborative practices led to more team commitment” (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). Indeed, the hypotheses formulated by the researchers at this point, appropriately addressed the research problem. Accordingly, in order to test these hypotheses effectively, LeBlanc et al (2010) adopted a qualitative design that utilized a longitudinal questionnaire survey to collect data from 429 ICU nurses sampled from eight European countries (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). This design was appropriate for this study since it enabled the researchers to capture fundamental psychosocial processes that were relevant to the study (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010).  In their review of the literature, LeBlanc et al (2010) used extensive research to establish the background of their study. The researchers followed the block method in discussing collaborative practice, and team commitment (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). The researchers used recent qualitative, quantitative and empirical studies to explain these concepts. Most of the literature they reviewed cited studies conducted on the topic in other industries such as education where the researchers cited Salanova, Bakker, and Llorens (2006) (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). Additionally, the researchers used theories, such as, the Social Cognitive Theory of Bandura to discuss the concept of efficacy beliefs and its relationship to team commitment and collaborative practice.  In addition to current literature, the researchers also cited several older qualitative studies in order to establish their theoretical background effectively (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). The review of the literature presented by the researchers helped show the existing knowledge about the relationship between efficacy beliefs and work-related behaviors. Particularly, it was effective in justifying the study in the area of nursing specifically, the intensive care unit. Overall, the researchers presented adequate evidence that served to develop their hypotheses (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). On the other hand, the study by LeBlanc et al (2010) failed to provide a specific conceptual or theoretical framework, in which the study was based. Though, they were able to show the background upon which the study was based. Notably, the study was set on the background that there existed a relationship between efficacy beliefs and work related behavior, but this knowledge was not specific to the Intensive Care Unit nurses. As such, this study was conducted to elaborate on this knowledge, with specific reference to the intensive care unit (Le Blanc, Schaufeli, Salanova, Llorens, & Nap, 2010). In total, the study conducted by LeBlanc et al (2010), was relevant to the area of study especially, from the hypotheses it tested and the design it employed. Moreover, the findings of the study matched the hypotheses as well as corroborating the evidence provided as a literature review.         References Le Blanc, P., Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., Llorens, S., & Nap, R. E. (2010). Efficacy beliefs predict collaborative practice among intensive care unit nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing Volume 66, Issue 3 , 481-708. Read More