My article is about a study performed in a large Northern England emergency department. The article begins with an introduction detailing the negative physical and mental effects of occupational stress, ranging from increased risk of chronic diseases to burnout and career change. The study examines the nurses’ attitudes toward occupational stress and job satisfaction over a three year period as organizational interventions to reduce occupational stress are implemented. The study found the changes made at the organizational level can have positive impacts on the nurses self-described levels of stress and job satisfaction, based upon surveys and roundtable discussions with those nurses. This is significant is because some blame nurses for their own burnout and expect the nurse to make changes to address it instead of looking at the organization’s policies, procedures, and workplace culture and trying to improve them.
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Travis, I think you hit a hot nursing topic for these difficult times to be a health care worker. I read an article that concludes a few reasons for nurse burn out. Stressful working conditions, poor support from management and uncertainty about their job role. I am sure these reasons ring true for emergency room nurses as well. Stress is the root of many disease processes. I think I and my coworkers have really struggled with burnout since this COVID hit. I have not had issues before now but don’t know what I could possibly do different career wise after thirty-two years. Your article review is clear and nicely done fishbone outline.
Basil Benduri Kaburi et al.(2019). Psychological working conditions and predictors of occupational stress among nurses, Salaga Government Hospital, Ghana, 2016.Pan African MedicalJournal. https://www.panafrican-med-journal.com/content/article/33/320/full
Nurse occupational stress/burnout is something that has been going on for years. I can see how changes need to be made on an organizational level if things are going to get any better. “Studies indicate that higher patient-to-nurse ratios are highly and positively correlated to a nurse’s experience of stress, burnout, and depression,” (Contreras, 2020). I can see how the patient-to-nurse ratio is a contributing factor to burnout. When working short staffed, nurses are naturally stressed, worrying about getting everything done with less time to complete the tasks. This can lead to mistakes. Another thought is how compassion fatigue impacts nurses and occupational stress. As nurses we are constantly giving of ourselves to our patients, by the end of the day we are drained. I myself have found that after a hard day at work, I am emotionally exhausted and when I get home the last thing I want to do is continue to give more of myself. Personal care is so important for nurses, we must refill our own tanks before we can refill others. This was a great study to help brings some of the causes to light. I find it equally as important that it states changes need to be made at the organizational level. I have worked for a couple different hospitals and the difference was like night and day. One had a 4:1 ratio while the other was a 6:1. The attitudes of the nurses at the 6:1 hospital were far more negative and they worked short staffed far more often than the 4:1 hospital.
References
Contreras Sollazzo, L., & Esposito, C. L. (2020). Nurses’ Unions Can Help Reduce Stress, Burnout, Depression, and Compassion Fatigue Part 1: The Background. Journal of the New York State Nurses Association, 47(1), 18–44.
Hi Travis I enjoyed reading your Journal club post. Fatigue and burnout plague the nursing profession and ultimately compound other problems that nurses face as well. For instance, fatigue is not only bad for the nurse, but for patients as well. Medicine errors, falls, increased incidence of infections and many other adverse patient outcomes can all be affected by nurse fatigue. Another example is that nurse fatigue can contribute to incivility in nursing. There are a conglomeration of factors that contribute to burnout also. Research to discover potential ways to improve these issues for nurses is very important. Thanks for sharing!
Nursing fatigue and burnout is extremely real and on the rise. Bring in a pandemic and most nurses are close to hitting their breaking point and new nurses are frightened. It is interesting to see the research and ideas that bigger companies such as JACHO recommend. It is also interesting to see the hospitals and corporations attempt to help nursing burnout.
“The Joint Commission says that shared decision-making strengthens the voice of clinical nurses as they collaborate with leaders around optimal staffing plans”(2020). While what JACHO recommends is great, it is up to the establishments to take a stand for their nurses.
HealthLeaders. (2020, January). The Joint Commission Tackles Nurse Burnout. Retrieved from https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/nursing/joint-commission-tackles-nurse-burnout