Work Stress and Burnout Among Nurses - Assignment Example

We have been studying the effects of stress on nurses since the 1950s and 1960s, and stress and burnout remain significant concerns for nurses and administrators. Most of the studies involving nurse stress looked at nurses in acute care settings, which are certainly very stressful. Studies have looked at stress vs. patient outcomes, the effects of long shifts, the age and experience levels of nurses, and how a nurse’s family situation contributed to burnout.

Empowerment is also important, and that comes with proper training and tools, and schedules that allow nurses flexibility while still meeting patient care goals. Empowerment works at all levels, from managers and administrators, through the nursing staff, and down to the patients themselves.

Confidence, knowledge, and skill mean better nursing care and stronger nurses who experience less burnout. It is also interesting that this review of literature and studies points out that there are flaws in the studies themselves which makes the information incomplete. Sometimes we start out with an idea like “It’s a good idea to empower nurses” without really defining what we mean. The very best studies focus on one aspect of an idea and measure it carefully while taking into account what caused the aspect to happen.