Examination of the 'Demand Trifecta' in the Context of Healthcare: A Multi- sample Examination.

For healthcare workers, simultaneous exposure to multiple stressors, such as role, cognitive, and emotional demands, is a feature of the work environment. Yet the effects of these common stressors in combination are not well-established. Survey data were collected from employees from three healthcare organizations including, a regional hospital and healthcare service (Sample 1, Study 1), an ambulance service (Sample 2, Study 1), and an aged care and disability service (Study 2). In Sample 1, high cognitive demand exacerbated high emotional demand on psychological strain and job burnout, and the negative effect of high emotional demand was not present at low cognitive demand. In Sample 2, a similar pattern between emotional demand and role demand on intentions to take sick leave, seek medical advice, and lodge a workers' compensation claim was observed. In Study 2, emotional demand x role demand and role demand x cognitive demand interactions also revealed that high levels of two demands was stress- exacerbating and low levels of one demand neutralized the negative effect of the other job demand. A three-way interaction on job satisfaction showed the negative impact of emotional demand was exacerbated when both role and cognitive demand were high, creating a 'demand trifecta'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]