Q. Who is conducting the research?
The study is being conducted by a team of researchers lead by Dr. Michael S. Kerr of the School of Nursing, University of Western Ontario and the Institute for Work & Health, Toronto.
Q. Who is paying for the project?
The project is being funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-term care via the Nursing Effectiveness, Utilization and Outcomes Research Unit (NRU), at the University of Toronto. Dr. Kerr is a co-investigator with the NRU. The Institute for Work & Health is providing the salary for the Project Co-ordinator and the University of Western Ontario, School of Nursing has given an in-kind contribution of office space and a computer terminal or the duration of the study.
Q. What is the purpose of the Study?
The main purpose of the study will be to explore the differences in stress-levels between full and part-time nurses and to determine if salivary cortisol is a reliable biomarker for work stress.
Q. Where is the study being conducted?
The study is being conducted across the three campuses of London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC).
Q. When is the study being conducted?
The study is beginning in July of 2002 and we hope to have all the field work completed by October 2002.
Q. Who is eligible to participate in this study?
All full-time and part-time Registered Nurses between the ages of 20-65 who have been permanently employed by LHSC for a least are eligible to participate in this study.
Q. Who is ineligible to participate in this study?
Nurses who are pregnant, taking oral steroids such as prednisone, dextamethasone or has a known cortisol related health problem such as Cushing's Syndrome or Addison's disease will not be eligible to participate since cortisol levels of these individual may be altered by their pre-existing health status.
Q. What will I be asked to do and how much time is involved?
If you agree to participate in this study, we will arrange for you to complete a self-administered questionnaire that will address work and life stressors, self-reported health outcomes and some basic demographic information such as age, sex, etc. This questionnaire should take about 45 minutes to complete. In addition to the questionnaire, we will provide you with a simple kit and sample log designed to allow you to collect 20 of your own saliva samples over the course of 4 days. Your total time commitment to this study is approximately 2-3 hours.
Q. How will I collected my saliva for the study?
We will provide you with a kit designed to allow you to collect your own saliva samples and provide you with a sample log to use at that time. Saliva samples will be obtained by using cotton swabs (Salivettes ®) provided which are placed in the mouth for about 30 seconds at 1, 4, 9 and 11 hours after waking and again just before bedtime, on each of 2 work and 2 non-work days, for a total of 20 samples (i.e. five samples from each of four days).
Q. Aside from cortisol testing, will any other chemical analysis be conducted on my saliva samples?
Your saliva sample will only be tested for cortisol levels. No other chemicals will ever be tested for in the saliva samples that you provide.
Q. What will happen to my saliva samples once the study is complete?
Once the study is complete and your samples have been analyzed for cortisol, the samples will be destroyed and under no circumstances will any further analysis occur.
Q. How do I know that my confidentiality will be preserved?
The principal investigator and the project co-ordinator will be the only people with access to your name and address. This information will be kept in a secure location and will not be disclosed to anyone nor will your name or any personal identifiers be used on study questionnaires or saliva samples. Once you agree to participate in this study, you will be identified by a research code (e.g. FT 000 D1T1) on all questionnaires and vials for saliva collection.
Q. What will happen if you use the data obtained from my saliva in a presentation or publication?
The results of this study may be described in oral and written presentations and may be published in professional journals. However, at all times the results will be presented in combined group format only and no personal identifiers will be used. Data on individual subjects will not be released in any format. It is important to note that, once the saliva samples have been analyzed, and statistical analyses are complete, your personal information and your saliva samples will be destroyed.
Q. What will happen if the study indicates that full-time workers have higher job stress and cortisol levels as compared to part-time workers? Will it mean that my job as a full-time nurse could be threatened?
No. Through this study, we will explore the relationship between job stress and cortisol levels. If our research finds that elevated cortisol levels are related to job stress among full-time nurses, full-time positions will not be threatened as they are an integral part of the hospital structure and the workforce in general. Our findings will be only a part of a larger body of knowledge that we hope will eventually be used to design and implement effective intervention strategies aimed at improving nurses' health and well-being, by reducing job related stress.
Q. Will I be compensated for my involvement in this study?
In recognition for your contribution to this project you will receive a $10 gift certificate to Tim Horton's.
Modified by: Sarah Dusky