Work-Family Conflict and Effect on Selected Demographics among Nurses from Selected Healthcare Facilities in Nairobi Metropolitan Area in Kenya

Abstract

Globally, work-family conflict has been a concern in many organizations especially in the nursing profession where the impact is huge. This is clearly illustrated by studies done by researchers from different disciplines. Work-family conflict has contributed to work and family outcome which has either been positive or negative. Despite its importance, limited studies have addressed work-family conflict in African context especially Kenya as pertains to the demographic variables. The study aimed to examine how work-family conflict related to demographic variables (gender, marital status, nurse position and nurses’ age) among nurses in Nairobi metropolitan area, Kenya. The study was based on the role strain theory. Data collection was carried out from July 2020 to January 2021. The study used a mixed method design. The sample of the study was 284 nurses. Choosing of facilities was through purposive sampling, and the selection of nurses within the hospital was through stratified random sampling. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from nurses. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and the creation of categories. The results and findings showed that work-family conflict was associated with demographic variables and impacted nurses’ performance at work and within the family domain. The study concluded that female nurses' experience on work-family conflict is slightly above male nurses, nurses in charge of units experience work-family conflict more than staff nurses due to the managerial positions they hold. Lastly, older nurses experienced more work-family conflict, possibly due to age, as they are less active or vibrant than young nurses. In addition, the energy level of older nurses was lower, affecting performance and productivity. The study recommended that there is a need to have a high level of teamwork between organizations, supervisors, co-workers, families and nurses