Relationships between the characteristics of oncohematology services providing palliative care and the sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers using health indicators: social support, perceived stress, coping strategies, and quality of work life

Objective The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between the characteristics of the management of oncohematology services and the psychosocial determinants of caregivers' health at work including social support, stress, and coping strategies. Design Investigation using questionnaires was carried out about nurses and nurse aides in hematology and oncology services. Setting All hematology and oncology services of Western France were requested. Five questionnaires concerning sociodemographic characteristics, measurements of quality of work life, of social support, of perceived stress, and of coping strategies and quality of work life were delivered among health professionals. Participants Five hundred seventy-four questionnaires from 53 different services were analyzed. There were 57.4% nurses and 42.6% nurse aides. Some 94.1% were female and 33.5% were older than 40 years. Results Several characteristics of oncohematology services were significantly linked to health indicators, as the need for time and recognition, the importance of training (in palliative care, pain management, and help relationship), the care of patients and their families, the interdisciplinary efficiency, and external interventions (psychologists and volunteers). We showed that participative management which includes implementation of service projects and of multidisciplinary staff influence the quality of work life of health professionals. We showed also how much the characteristics of services organized around an effective social support (need for recognition) favor a better quality of work life among caregivers, influencing their perceived stress and their coping strategies. Conclusion To our knowledge, it is the first study showing a relationship between participative management (including multidisciplinary staffs, approach with a service project, and internal training) and the quality of work life in the domain of health care. The implementation of this model should be promoted in health care services.