Research Plus

Mental health functional impairment in nurses

A job-focused Nurses Work Functioning Questionnaire, measuring impaired work performance due to common mental health disorders, was developed and tested on 314 nurses and allied health professionals (81% female) in a Dutch medical centre. Factor analysis reduced the preliminary model from 231 items to a final 50-item scale, comprising seven subscales (eg impaired decision-making, causing incidents at work, impaired contact with patients/family). Internal consistency was good or acceptable for the seven subscales, and content validity was high. The scores can provide insight into the impairment and potential to tailor interventions accordingly.

International Archives of Occupational & Environmental Health 2012; 85: 125–138.

Tags evidence based practice mental health

Occupational Health at Work April/May 2012 (vol. 08/6) pp48