Work-life balance is the ability of an individual to balance their work and personal life
in a way that maintains competitiveness in the workplace while preserving a happy
private life and a healthy lifestyle. This is especially important in healthcare, particularly
among nursing staff, as their well-being directly impacts the quality of patient care and
the efficiency of healthcare services. The master's thesis aimed to analyze work-life
balance during the COVID-19 pandemic, including variations across European Union
countries and its impact on Slovenian healthcare nursing staff. Both qualitative and
quantitative research methods were used.
The findings indicate that achieving work-life balance in Slovenia was more challenging
compared to neighboring countries during the pandemic. Remote work increased
across all studied nations post-outbreak, reflecting heightened interest in technological
advancements and flexibility. Slovenian healthcare nursing staff faced marginally
greater difficulties in balancing work and personal life during the pandemic than
afterward. The study found no statistically significant impact of the examined factors
on Slovenian healthcare nursing staff's work-life balance post-pandemic.
The analysis was limited due to low hospital and employee responsiveness, prolonged
ethical approval processes, and an overly extensive survey questionnaire.
Recommendations for future research include improving communication with
hospitals, streamlining the questionnaire, and expanding the study internationally to
include EU countries for additional comparative insights. The results underscore the
necessity for more flexible work arrangements and increased governmental support
for healthcare workers.
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