University of Cincinnati, College of Nursing; University of Cincinnati, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences

Background: Correctional nurses in the United States (U.S.) are known to work in inherently stressful environments due to the punitive nature of correctional facilities paired with staffing shortages, low resources, overcrowding, violence, and deteriorating living conditions of incarcerated persons.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact that work has on the overall wellbeing of correctional nurses, with two aims: (1) quantify organizational characteristics, job stress and wellbeing levels, and (2) determine the relationship of organizational characteristics and wellbeing among correctional nurses in the U.S. with a mediating effect of job stress.

Design: Cross-sectional, non-experimental, descriptive.

Methods: This project employed use of an online REDCap survey and conveniently sampled 270 U.S. correctional nurses to describe organizational characteristics, job stress, and wellbeing levels. Using guidance from the Job Demands-Resource Theory, this project determined the direct and indirect associations between correctional organizational characteristics (i.e., job demands, job control, managerial support, colleague support, workplace relationships) on nurses’ self-reported wellbeing through multiple linear regression modeling and structural equation modeling.

Findings: Results included evidence for moderate job stress (M = 16.26, SD = 7.14) and wellbeing levels (M = 1.8, SD = 3.06), where a score of 2 indicates an increased risk for distress and adverse events. On the continuum from 1 (poor) to 5 (optimal), participant organizational characteristic scores included managerial support (M = 3.13, SD = 0.35), job demands (M = 3.56, SD = 0.922), job control (M = 3.57, SD = 0.77), peer support (M = 3.85, SD = 0.64), and workplace relationships (M = 3.73, SD = 0.95). Registered nurses and those who worked in U.S. prisons had the highest job stress and worst wellbeing levels in this sample. Results also revealed a significant model fit, highlighting the significant impact of job demands, job control, workplace relationships, and job stress on wellbeing. There was also evidence of job stress mediating the effect of job control and job demands on wellbeing.

Conclusion: Results uncover the prevalence of moderate job stress and varying wellbeing levels across different groups of correctional nurses. The updated conceptual model provides guidance for future interventions to target job demands, job control, workplace relationships, and job stress to improve wellbeing for correctional nurses.

Impact Statement: Correctional facilities may leverage these findings and increase job control of nurses by implementing mentorship programs, reduce job demands by ensuring adequate staff are hired and retained, foster positive workplace relationships between colleagues through peer support groups, and mitigate job stress by implementing wellness initiatives. Improving correctional nurse wellbeing may have positive impacts for both the nurses and the organizations, by reducing costs associated with outcomes of poor wellbeing and job stress (i.e., costs for sick days and injuries, retraining new staff due to high turnover).