Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Nursing
Advisor
Janice Long
Abstract
AbstractLike other individuals from diverse backgrounds, nurses who work in nursing homes are susceptible to becoming overweight. The way that others see and respond to the overweight person also may vary and even result in some level of discrimination. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspective of nurse managers about obese staff in the workplace. A qualitative phenomenological descriptive study design was used, guided by the theory of interpersonal relations and the relational leadership framework, to examine the lived experiences of managers working with obese nurses in nursing home settings in a large metropolitan region in the Northern United States. Seven nurse manager participants were recruited using purposive sampling to participate in semi-structured interviews and open-ended questions. Transcripts were then analyzed using thematic analysis. The following themes were identified: (a) behavioral counselling and education programs, (b) employment characteristics, (c) stereotypical beliefs, and (d) workplace productivity. Nurse managers reported that healthy lifestyle education and support helped to promote a positive work environment and health for all employees. The nurse’s weight did not contribute to decisions to hire and obese nurses were seen as productive as non-obese nurses. The results of this study may promote positive social change if health care organizations are aware of the benefit of preventing discrimination due to weight and provide resources for employee health. Recommendations for future research include a quantitative study to survey nurse managers and their staff and to repeat this qualitative study with staff nurses who are obese or overweight.
Recommended Citation
Akinmoladun, Francis Taiwo, "Understanding Obesity in the Workplace from the Nursing Manager’s Perspective" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12911.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12911
