SHBC1188
E.TAN1, G.F.CHIN1, C.UBEYNARAYANA1
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital1
The present nursing workforce comprises four generational of nurses working side-by-side. While such generation blend adds invaluable diversity to the workforce, it also brings added complexity. The study aimed to describe and summarise work values and attitudes of four nursing generations, namely Baby boomers, Generation X, Y and Z.
A cross-sectional questionnaire study was adopted. A total of 778 nurses from an acute hospital in Singapore had completed the online questionnaire. The Work Value and Attitude scale measuring seven constructs (Work Centrality, Non-compliance, Technology Challenge, Work-life balance, leadership, Power, and Recognition) was employed for data collection.
The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.726 for the overall instrument. Statistically significant differences amongst the four generations of nurses emerged in the Work Value and Attitude scale in the construct of non-compliance (p=0.007), work-life balance (p<0.001), and recognition (p<0.001). No statistically significant differences noted for the rest of the constructs.
The findings of this study had highlighted generational differences in work values and attitudes exist amongst nurses of different generations. Generation-X are more likely to challenge the conventional norm and supervisors. There was greater emphasis for work-life balance as the generation gets younger. Generation-Z was more likely to perceive that they do not get the respect and recognition form their colleagues. Acknowledging the generational differences in work values and attitude can facilitate nursing management to tailor strategies to improve individual and organisation performance and creating a work environment that enhance intergeneration harmony and teamwork.
