RUMUSAN ARTIKEL

1. Do illegitimate tasks matter for registered nurses’ work motivation? A cross-

sectional study based on a nationally representative sample of Swedish nurses .

Key Concept.

Register nurse , motivation , work motivation , primary care , work engagement ,

condidence interval .

Abstract

A challenge in Western countries is the growing need for registered nurses (RNs’)
in hospitals, primary care and home healthcare. Decreasing illegitimate tasks and
strengthening RNs’ work motivation are some strategies to address this
challenge. Our overall aim was to explore the association between RNs'
experiences of illegitimate tasks and work motivation operationalised as four
dimensions: work engagement, opportunities to provide high-quality
care, employer satisfaction and intention to remain at the workplace. To address
this aim, three specific research questions were asked: 1) Is there an association
between illegitimate tasks and work motivation? 2) Do the levels of reported
illegitimate tasks differ between RNs working in hospitals and those working
in primary care or home healthcare settings? 3) Do associations between
illegitimate work tasks and work motivation differ with type of workplace? A
cross-sectional design. We used responses from a stratified population of RNs in
Sweden, n = 2,333, working either in hospitals, primary care or home
healthcare. Calibrating weights were applied in all analyses to ascertain the
generalisability of the findings. Illegitimate tasks were measured with the Bern
Illegitimate Tasks Scale. Data were analysed using chi-squared tests and linear or
logistic regression analysis. Interaction was measured on the multiplicative scale
by adding an interaction term to the fully adjusted models. Overall, approximately
25% of RNs reported frequently experiencing illegitimate tasks. There were
statistically significant associations between higher perceptions of illegitimate
tasks and lower ratings in the four dimensions of work motivation: work
engagement [beta coefficient [beta] = -.14, confidence interval [CI] 95% = -.18;
-.10], opportunities to provide high-quality care [beta = -.46, CI 95% = -.51; -40]
and employer satisfaction [beta = -.60, CI 95% = -.67; -.54]. Experiencing higher
levels of illegitimate tasks also related to a decreased intention to remain at the
workplace [illegitimate tasks: odds ratio = .32, CI 95% = .27; .29]. RNs who worked
in home healthcare reported higher levels of illegitimate tasks than RNs who
worked in hospitals. Reducing the amount of illegitimate tasks may contribute to
counteracting the shortage of RNs by increasing work motivation and willingness
to remain at the workplace

Synopsis

In ‘Do illegitimate tasks matter for registered nurses’ work motivation?’, a group led by
Carina Ahlstedt from the Karolinska Institutet (2023) noted that the shortage of
healthcare workers, including registered nurses, is a concern for the World Health
Organization. A study found that registered nurses who experienced more illegitimate
tasks had lower levels of work motivation. Illegitimate tasks were more common among
registered nurses in home healthcare compared to those in hospitals. Reducing
illegitimate tasks could help address the shortage of registered nurses and improve work
motivation.

To work as an RN in Sweden, individuals must have a bachelor's degree in nursing or

medicine and obtain a license. The sample for this study included RNs in Sweden
between the ages of 18 and 69, with Statistics Sweden conducting the sampling.

The conclusions may support earlier work in this topic: “Illegitimate tasks decrease
intrinsic motivation, as supported by previous research in healthcare settings,” Ahlstedt
claimed.

Discussing potential shortcomings, “The study has limitations in terms of its design and
the use of self-reported data. The results may not be applicable to healthcare
organizations in other countries. However, the study benefits from a large and
representative sample of RNs in Sweden, and the use of calibrated weights helps
decrease uncertainty. The results are generalizable to registered nurses in Sweden and
the comparisons between RNs working in different healthcare settings are robust,” they
admit.

The authors suggest that organizations and managers should prioritize addressing
perceived illegitimate tasks in all workplaces, including healthcare settings, to support
the goal of providing more care outside hospitals. Further research is needed to enhance
understanding of illegitimate tasks in various work environments.