1) What causes stress in the workplace?

2) What are the stressors that clinical nurses are experiencing in the workplace today?

3. What coping strategies can nurses use to minimize work stress?

 

1- Workplace stress can have any major origins or come from one shingle event and can impact both employees and employers. It is a growing problem around the world affecting not only the health and well being of workers, but also the productivity of organizations. Work-related stress arises where work demands different types and combinations exceed the individual's capacity and capability to cope. It can be caused by different events, for example, an individual might feel under pressure if the demands at work are greater than he or she can comfortably manage. Other causes of work related stress include, conflicts with other employees, constant changes and threats to job security. The signs/symptoms of work related stress can be physical, psychological and behavioral. They include; fatigue, muscular tension, depression, aggression or isolation.

2- The stressor that clinical nurses experience in the workplace include;

• difficulty balancing home and work responsibilities,- It is likely that nurses must continually align their home life with their work obligations, but this is definitely difficult because of on-the-job pressures coupled with regular issues such as childcare, finances, and quality of life. Tragic like caring for and communicating with an individual who is dying presents emotional challenges for nurses as well as the increased risk of violent or aggressive patients.
• physical demands- potential physical stressor such as frequent lifting and bending, changeable shifts, noisy environment and long hours. Nurses working night shift may also suffer from disruption to their natural circadian rhythms, which in turn can predispose them to illness.
• lack of resources- budgetary constraints may require nurses to do their work with inadequate resources, while an increased emphasis on billing and adherence to regulations can also cause stress.
• Management issues.- nurses always state that they do not feel empowered by management in decision making, instead they feel that their expertise is compromised by poor leadership and role confusing in general. Their units can be short staffed causing to many stating that they do not have enough time to do their jobs well.

3- Some of the strategies that nurses use to minimize stress at work place include,

• practicing compartmentalization- high levels of empathy for patients can be taxing and contribute to stress levels. Nurses who have adapted to compartmentalization can leave their wok related concerns at work when they finish their shifts.
• developing emergency coping strategies for nurse stress; this will help in regrouping, calming down and figuring out the situation especially when one is overwhelmed.
• Avoidance and escaping the situation- the strategy is done through avoidance and escape methods where the nurse prefers to avoid or escape from them for reducing tension and stress and achieving peace. Nurses use this strategy by avoiding carrying out an action, giving no attention to negative feelings, diverting away bad thoughts and avoiding and escaping from stressful situations.