The Relationship Between the Quality of Work and Organizational Commitment of Prison Nurses

BACKGROUND: Nurses working in prisons are exposed to security problems while serving those who may be uninterested in their own healthcare, face high risks of drug and alcohol addiction, and may have aggressive personalities. For this reason, nurses working in prisons may have more problems with work-related quality of life than their non-prison-nurse peers. PURPOSE: This descriptive research study was conducted to evaluate the work-related quality of life and organizational commitment of nurses who work at prisons and detention centers. METHODS: According to 2015 data, approximately 513 nurses currently work in prisons in Turkey. The study group consisted of 224 nurses who currently work in prisons or detention centers. The data were collected by sending a created link address to the e-mail addresses of nurses who work in these facilities. A 13-item sociodemographic information form, including a demographics datasheet, a work-related quality of life scale, and an organizational commitment scale, was used to collect data. RESULTS: The participants reported a moderate level of work-related quality of life and organizational commitment. Moreover, work-related quality of life was shown to affect organizational commitment, with 20% of the total variance in organizational commitment explained by work-related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This study supports that work-related quality of life affects organizational commitment positively. Therefore, regulating working conditions by taking into consideration employee security will positively affect job satisfaction in terms of both the institution and the employee. Moreover, as nurses do not only work in hospitals, taking this action should also work in different settings. Administrators should ensure the work-related quality of life of the prison nurses by understanding the difficulties of prison nursing.