Sociodemographic, Occupational, and Organizational Predictors of Problem-Solving Skills Among Long-Term Care Nursing Staff in the Atlantic Region of Canada

Background Problem-solving is a core professional competency in nursing, underpinning critical thinking, decision-making, and patient safety. The study explored the sociodemographic, occupational, and organizational determinants of problem-solving skills among registered nurses and licensed practical nurses working in long-term care homes in Canada's Atlantic provinces. Methods Cross-sectional data from the Atlantic Research Collaboration in Long Term Care (ARC-LTC) project (November 2023 to May 2024) were analyzed using chi-square, one-way ANOVA, bivariate and hierarchical linear regression. Results Among 724 participants, 92.9% were women and 56.6% were aged 40 years and older. The mean problem-solving score was 3.83 (SD = 0.38). There were significant differences in the staff demographic characteristics across the region. For instance, New Brunswick had a higher proportion of diploma holders (χ 2 = 19.79, p < 0.001) and a lower proportion of staff born outside Canada (χ 2 = 35.06, p < 0.001) compared to other provinces. However, there was no significant difference in mean problem-solving scores across provinces ( F = 0.119, p = 0.949), facility sizes ( F = 0.113, p = 0.894), and facility ownership models ( F = 2.908, p = 0.055). The final model indicated that being born in Canada ( β =0.171), being a Registered Nurse ( β =0.180), having a higher household income ( β =0.134), having more years of experience within a unit ( β =-0.095), and experiencing positive organizational factors such as leadership ( β =0.088), culture ( β =0.125), job satisfaction ( β =0.185), work engagement vigor ( β =-0.157), work engagement absorption ( β =0.167), and organizational citizenship behaviour ( β =0.215) were associated with better problem-solving scores ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Nursing staff characteristics and work contexts significantly influence problem-solving skills in Atlantic Canada. Tailored continuing professional development and supportive workforce policies could enhance nurses’ performance.