Socioprofessional characteristics of the oncology nurses in Lower Silesia

Background. During 2016 there were 32 oncological care providers in Lower Silesia that reported 898 nurses and midwives in order to execute contracts with Lower Silesian Branch of the National Health Fund. Hired nurses provide nursing care of various kind and scope, within specialized treatment, such as oncological surgery (including gynecology), chemotherapy and radiotherapy. That requires specialized knowledge and skills, often essential for performing particular services. Objectives. Aim of this study is an assessment of the demographic and socioprofessional situation of the nurses providing health services in the field of oncology in Lower Silesia. Material and methods. Research was performed in the 2nd half of 2015 and the 1st half of 2016 using diagnostic survey questionnaire. The study included 147 nurses and midwives. An analysis of statistical significance between quality variables and racy variables was conducted. Independence of answers was verified using Pearson’s χ2 test, with α = 0,05 (p ≤ 0,05). Calculations were performed using STATISTICA v. 13.3 and Microsoft Excel 2003. Results. Nurses over 45 years of age constituted the majority of the group studied; 47,6% of the surveyed nurses had secondary education and 74,8% had at least one type of postgraduate education. The vast majority had permanent employment contract and 86,4% of them declared full or partial professional satisfaction in their current workplace. Most nurses (66,0%) are dissatisfied with their wages. Data analysis indicated many significant relations. Conclusions. Most oncology nurses are over 45 years of age; persons entering the profession constitute a negligible minority. It raises concerns as Lower Silesian population health needs may not be satisfied in the future. Variables differentiating the answers on motivation behind choosing the workplace were: age, job seniority, education, and region of Lower Silesia in which the workplace is located. Nurses with job seniority longer than over 25 years substantially more often were fully or partially satisfied and never or rarely thought about job change. Age, job seniority, education level, and region of Lower Silesia affected most variables.