The Role of Stress and Level of Burnout in Job Performance among Nurses - Essay Example

The role of stress and level of burnout in job performance among nurses Introduction Stress is a major concern to the welfare of nursing staff and impacts nurses through psychological and mental harm. Stress among nursing staff is caused by imbalance between individual life and working environment especially when it becomes impossible to cope with the work demands (Dawe, 1987, p 489). In addition, stress may result from demands outside the work environment such as financial difficulties, instable family relationships and low self-esteem (Dawe, 1987, p 490). Nurses’ job performance assessment includes the analysis of job demands, methods of performing the job and behaviour demonstrated during job performance. Nursing is a caring profession and nurses are affected by home-work interference (HWI) and work-home interference (WHI) in their career. According to job demands-resources (JD-R) model, factors that contribute to stress include job demands, lack of social support and lack of job control. Some factors that contribute to stress and burnout in nurses include the long shifts, emotional demands of the patients, odd working hours, intraprofessional conflicts and physical labor undertaken by the nurses while administering care to the patients. Accordingly, emerging healthcare technologies, organizational changes, insufficient resources, poor remuneration, bullying and inadequate communication within the healthcare facility setting has contributed to increase in stress among nurses (Dawe, 1987, p 496). Nurses experience stress in trying to cope with heavy workload since some nurses are forced to perform non-nursing roles. More than three-quarters of the hospital services are handled by nurses and is a significant source of stressors among nurses. The excessive workload that should be completed within limited time-frame will lead to overall mental and psychological strain of the nurse (Dawe, 1987, p 494). The job content aspects such as ill defined roles, under-utilization of nurse skills, meaningless and non-nursing tasks will strain nurses. In addition, lack of job variety, high uncertain tasks and lack of control over the job are significant source of stressors among nurses. Accordingly, the work environment may be characterized by unpredictable working hours, long shift working hours and inflexible work schedules thus leading to low motivation among nurses (Dawe, 1987, p 493). Poor interpersonal relationships within the health facility lead to conflicts with other colleagues and other medical staff. Poor communication channels, poor conflict handling strategies and poor task environment will lead to personality and task conflicts among colleagues thus ultimately leading to low self-esteem and stress among nurses (Gandi, Wai, Karick & Dagona, 2011, p 193). The work environment contains several hazards that may lead to physical injury and stress among nurses. Nurses are exposed to microbiological, radiological and chemical hazards that may negatively affect their health. For instance, physical load, back disorders and muscle tensions may contribute to feelings of low self-esteem and underachievement among the nurses thus leading to stress and burnout. Exposure to chemicals and unpleasant smell may also contribute to psychological effects of stress (Gandi, Wai, Karick & Dagona, 2011, p 190). Dealing with death and dying is a major source of emotional stress among nurses due to the caring nature of the profession. Nurses are expected to promote high quality health care that prevents death and thus some nurses find it hard to handle the emotional disturbance that occurs after experiencing situations that entail the death of a patient (Dawe, 1987, p 495). Job-related stress leads to high employee turnover and high absenteesm that ultimately leads to overall decline in organisational productivity. Excessive stress is associated with less co-operation, more aggression and ultimately hinders the performance of difficult tasks. unbearable stress leads to nurse burnout which can be defined as the symptoms and signs that are characterized by loss of energy (Wu, Zhu, Wang, Wang & Lan, 2007, 230). Burnout is the prolonged response to chronic work stress and is evidenced by feelings of low accomplishment, negative attitudes towards patients and emotional exhaustion. Chronic burnout will lead to susceptibility to headaches, fevers, coronary heart diseases, increase in the level of stress hormones and colds. Accordingly, burnout entails the revision of values through self-isolation from social networks and denial of emerging problems which ultimately leads to social withdrawal and indulgence in anti-social activities such as excessive alcoholism (Wu, Zhu, Wang, Wang & Lan, 2007, 235). Finally, the condition will eventually cause depression and burnout syndrome that is associated with suicidal thoughts. Effects of stress and burnout at the workplace Stress and burnout affects the psychological, emotional and physical wellbeing of nurses and negatively impacts of the productivity of the health facility. The warning signs include the loss of job motivation and erratic time keeping by the nurses. Stress will also affect nurse relationships at the workplace and cause conflicts and tension between colleagues. At the organizational level, stress will reduce nurse productivity, increase the medical error rates and lead to lack of work control due to poor decision-making (Dawe, 1987, p 496). Coping strategies Nurses can use several strategies to deal with stress such as delegation of work to the subordinates, working as a team. Attending staff meetings in order to improve interpersonal relationships, and prevent difficult situations (Dawe, 1987, p 497). Nurses can get involved in social activities such as hobbies and leisure in order to relax and improve their coping mechanism and get an opportunity of sharing the stressing issue with colleagues. The health facilities must implement policies that enable nurses to cope with new nursing knowledge and technologies. The nurses must have professional development opportunities in order to cope with changing job demands, new job content and reduce work-related strains from use of new machines and equipment in the health facility (Gandi, Wai, Karick & Dagona, 2011, p 183). The health facility must implement a safe working environment through issuing polices and guidelines of handling several machines and chemicals, and also provide protective clothing to the nurses (Gandi, Wai, Karick & Dagona, 2011, p 187). . Conclusion Nurses must have access to intervention programmes that will reduce stress and burnout and enhance their coping skills. The health facility administrators must implement supportive structures that enable nurses to deal with emotional challenges in their roles such a counseling facilities and leisure facilities that enable the nurses to unwind their emotional situations. Shift work must be optimized in order to meet the personal needs and ergonomic criteria and essential health education of stress coping skills must be availed in order for the nurses to enhance their coping capability. The health facility must provide a safe working environment and protective clothing and offer career advancement opportunities in n order to deal with changing job roles due to new nursing knowledge and technology improvements. References: Dawe, P. (1987). ‘Identifying strategies nurse use to cope with work stress’, Journal of Advanced Nursing, Vol 12, pp 489-497. Gandi, J.C., Wai, P.S., Karick & Dagona, Z.K. (2011). ‘The role of stress and level of burnout in job performance among nurses’, Mental health in Family Medicine 2011, 8: pp 181-194. Wu, S., Zhu, W., Wang, Z., Wang, M & Lan, Y. (2007). “Relationship between burnout and occupational stress among nurses in China”, Journal of Advanced Nursing, 59(3), pp 233-239. Read More