Are Personal Smartphones Hurting Work-Life Balance for Nurse Managers?

Completed

• Conditions: Burnout
• Interventions: Other: Study will conducted over a six-month period using a quasi-experimental Pre-test/Post-test design using Stamm's (2009) ProQOL Scale.

• Registration Number: NCT06343584
• Lead Sponsor: Methodist Health System

Brief Summary

For leadership positions with only a handful of staff under their direct chain of command, this may not be all-consuming and detrimental to work-life balance. But for NMs with upwards of 100 direct reports, this can make for a never-ending stream of contact points. This study will implement several communication and behavioral strategies to determine how using provided smartphone tools impact work-life balance and professional burnout.

Detailed Description

The study will be conducted over a six-month period using a quasi-experimental Pre-test/Post-test design using Stamm's (2009) ProQOL Scale. This study is being done as a pilot study with a small sample size. NMs will be recruited as volunteers for participation in the study with an anticipated six-month time commitment. Upon receipt of informed consent, participants will be divided into two groups. Group 1 will receive a list of suggested tools used to decrease the amount of smartphone interruptions after business hours (Appendix B) and Group 2 will receive a work-issued smartphone with instructions for use (Appendix C). Both groups will use a pre-post test format designed to compare the outcomes between the two groups. Post-study analysis will compare pre- and post-tests within each group and will compare Group 1 and Group 2 post-intervention outcomes.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2021-07-01
• Status Verified: 2022-04
• Study First Submitted: 2022-04-27
• Primary Completion: 2022-05-06
• Study Completion: 2022-05-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-03-26
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-03-26
• Study First Posted: 2024-04-02
• Last Update Posted: 2024-04-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 6

Inclusion Criteria

• Participant must hold the title of Nurse Manager or Interim Nurse Manager at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center
• Participant must have greater than 50 direct reports

Exclusion Criteria

• Participant expects to separate employment with Methodist Health System prior to the conclusion of the study
• Participant does not use their personal smartphone to communicate with direct reports

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Group 1	Study will conducted over a six-month period using a quasi-experimental Pre-test/Post-test design using Stamm's (2009) ProQOL Scale.	Must hold the title of Nurse Manager or Interim Nurse Manager at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. Upon receipt of informed consent, participants will be divided into two groups. Group 1 will receive a list of suggested tools used to decrease the amount of smartphone interruptions after business hours
Group 2	Study will conducted over a six-month period using a quasi-experimental Pre-test/Post-test design using Stamm's (2009) ProQOL Scale.	Must hold the title of Nurse Manager or Interim Nurse Manager at Methodist Mansfield Medical Center. Upon receipt of informed consent, participants will be divided into two groups. Group 2 will receive a work-issued smartphone with instructions for use (Appendix C).

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
• Impact of smartphone tool utilization will be measured using a pre-study survey and post-study survey using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Scale (Stamm, 2009).	6 months	• Impact of smartphone tool utilization will be measured using a pre-study survey and post-study survey using the Professional Quality of Life (ProQOL) Scale (Stamm, 2009).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
• Participants in Group 1 will self-report on the post-study survey (Appendix D1) the number of tools implemented during the study duration.	6 months	• Participants in Group 1 will self-report on the post-study survey (Appendix D1) the number of tools implemented during the study duration.
• Participants in Group 2 will self-report on the post-study survey (Appendix D2) using the ProQOL Scale.	6 months	• Participants in Group 2 will self-report on the post-study survey (Appendix D2) using the ProQOL Scale.
• Responses to the post-study survey from participants in Group 2 will be compared to participants in Group 1 to determine if utilizing a separate work smartphone during business hours has a greater improvement on work-life balance and burnout.	6 months	• Responses to the post-study survey from participants in Group 2 will be compared to participants in Group 1 to determine if utilizing a separate work smartphone during business hours has a greater improvement on work-life balance and burnout.
• Participants in Group 1 will self-report on the post-study survey (Appendix D1) the frequency of tool utilization during the study duration using a Likert scale.	6 months	• Participants in Group 1 will self-report on the post-study survey (Appendix D1) the frequency of tool utilization during the study duration using a Likert scale.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Methodist Mansfield Medical Center; 🇺🇸 Mansfield, Texas, United States