The impact of healthcare work ers job environment on their mental-emotional health. Coping strategies: the case of a local general hospital
Workplace stress can influence healthcare professionals’ physical and emotional well being by curbing their efficiency and having a negative impact on their overall quality of life. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact that work environment in a local public general hospital can have on the health workers’ mental-emotional health and find strategies in order to cope with negative con sequences. The study took place from July 2010 to October 2010. Our sample consisted of 200 healthcare professionals aged 21-58 years working in a 240-bed general hospital and the response rate was 91.36%). Our research pro tocol was first approved by the hospital’s review board. A standardized questionnaire that investigates strategies for coping with stressful conditions was used. A standardized questionnaire was used in the present study Coping Strategies for Stressful Events, evaluat ing the strategies that persons employ in order to overcome a stressful situation or event. The questionnaire was first tested for validity and reliability which were found satisfactory (Cronbach’s α=0.862). Strict anonymity of the participants was guaranteed. The SPSS 16.0 software was used for the statistical analysis. Regression analysis showed that health pro fessionals’ emotional health can be influenced by strategies for dealing with stressful events, since positive re-assessment,quitting and seeking social support are predisposing factors regarding the three first quality of life factors of the World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF. More specifically, for the physical health factor, positive re-assessment (t=3.370, P=0.001) and quitting (t=−2.564, P=0.011) are predisposing factors. For the ‘mental health and spirituality’ regression model, posi tive re-assessment (t=5.528, P=0.000) and seeking social support (t=−1.991, P=0.048) are also predisposing factors, while regarding social relationships positive re-assessment (t=4.289, P=0.000) is a predisposing factor. According to our findings, there was a notable lack of workplace stress management strate gies, which the participants usually perceive as a lack of interest on behalf of the manage ment regarding their emotional state. Some significant factors for lowering workplace stress were found to be the need to encourage and morally reward the staff and also to pro vide them with opportunities for further or continuous education.
1. Cooper CL, Cooper RD, Eaker LH. Living with stress. Harmonsworth: Pengium; 1988.
2. Foxall M, Zimmerman L, Standley R, Bene C. A comparison of frequency and sources of nursing job stress perceived by intensive care, hospice and medical-surgical nurses. J Adv Nurs 1990;15:577-84.
3. Tyler PA, Ellison RN. Sources of stress and psychological well-being in high-dependency nursing. J Adv Nurs 1994;19:469-76.
4. Sapountzi D, Lemonidou C. Nursing in Greece. Developments and prospects. Athens: Academy of Health Professions; 1994.
5. Bakker AB, Killmer CH, Siegriest J, Schaufeli. Effort-reward imbalance and burnout among nurses. J Adv Nurs 2000;31:884-91.
6. Arnold J, Cooper C, Robertson IT. Work psychology: understanding human behavior in the workplace. 2nd ed. London: Pitman; 1995.
7. Boumans N, Landeweerd J. A Dutch study of effects of primary nursing on job characteristics and organizational processes. J Adv Nurs 1996;24:16-23.
8. de Boer J, Lok A, Van't Verlaat E, et al. Work-related critical incidents in hospital-based health care providers and the risk of post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, and depression: a meta-analysis. Soc Sci Med 2011;73:2:316-26.
9. Mészáros V, Cserháti Z, Oláh A, et al. Coping with work-related stress in healthcare professionals: strategies for the prevention of burnout and depression. Orv Hetil 2013;24;154:449-54.
10. Cooper C, Cooper R, Eaker L. Living with stress. Athens: Scientific Publication Parisianou SA; 2002.
11. Fagin L, Bartlett H. The Claybury CPN stress survey: background and methodology. In: Carson J, Fagin L, Ritter S, eds. Stress and coping mental health nursing. London: Chapman and Hall; 1995.
12. McGarry S, Girdler S, McDonald A, et al. Paediatric health-care professionals: relationships between psychological distress, resilience and coping skills. J Paediatr Child Health 2013;49:725-32.
13. Hillert A. How is burnout treated? Treatment approaches between wellness, job-related prevention of stress, psychotherapy, and social criticism. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2012;55:190-6.
14. Coffey M. Stress and burn out in forensic community mental health nurses: an investigation of its causes and effects. J Psychiatr Mental Health Nurs 1999;6:433-43.
15. Dawkins J, Depp F, Seltzer N. Stress and psychiatric nurse. J Psychosoc Nurs 1985;23:11:9-15.
16. Cox T, Griffiths A, Barlowe C, et al. Organizational interventions for work stress: a risk management approach. HSE Contract Research Report 286/2000. Sudbury: HSE Book; 2000.
17. Asimakopoulos M. The burnout job satisfaction and engagement at work in the public sector. PhD thesis. University of Patras, Department of Business Administration, Patras, 2004.
18. Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer; 1984.
19. Bandura A. Self-efficacy: the exercise of control, New York: Freeman & Co. 1997.
20. Lazarus RS. Fifty years of the research and the theory of R.S. Lazarus: an analysis of historical and perennial issues, Mahwah: Eribaum; 1999.
21. Cohen F, Lazarus R. Coping with stress and illness. In Stone GC, Cohenm F, Adler N, eds. Health psychology: a handbook. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass; 1979. pp 140-68.
22. Kaleas M, Platsidou M. Strategies to address stressful situations and job satisfaction of Greek in Public hospitals. Modern Soc Educ Mental Health 2008;1:177-200.
23. Chang E, Bidewell J, Huntington A, et al. A survey of role stress, coping and health in Australian and New Zealand hospital nurses. Int J Nurs Stud 2007;44:1354-62.
24. Happell B, Reid-Searl K, Dwyer T, et al. How nurses cope with occupational stress outside their workplaces. Collegian 2013;20:3:195-9.
25. Happell B, Dwyer T, Reid-Searl K, et al. Nurses and stress: recognizing causes and seeking solutions. J Nurs Manag 2013;21:4:638-47.
26. Lim J, Bogossian F, Ahern K. Stress and coping in Australian nurses: a systematic review. Int Nurs Rev 2010;57:1:22-31.
27. Lambert V, Lambert C, Ito M. Workplace stressors, ways of coping and demographic characteristics as predictors of physical and mental health of Japanese hospital nurses. Int J Nurs Stud 2004;41:85-97.
28. Lambert V, C Lambert, Itano J, et al. Cross-cultural comparison of workplace stressors, ways of coping and demographic characteristics as predictors of physical and mental health among hospital nurses in Japan, Thailand, South Korea and the USA(Hawaii). Int J Nurs Stud 2004;41:671-84.
29. Lambert V, Lambert C, Petrini M, et al. Workplace and personal factors associated with physical an mental health in hospital nurses in China, Nurs Health Sci 2007;9:120-6.
30. Karadimas EH. Adapting to a Greek scale measuring coping strategies, stressful situations, Psychology 1998;5:3:260-73.
31. Laskari C, Kotsonis K, Velentzas P, et al. Anxiety, stress, depression, and job satisfaction of workers in the field of health services. Pediatrics 2000;63:225-30.
32. Coomber S, Todd C, Park G, et al. Stress in UK intensive care doctors. Br J Anaesth 2002;89:873-81.
33. Toyry S, Rasanen K, Kujala S, et al. Self-reported health, illness, and self-care among Finnish physicians. Arch Fam Med 2000;9:1079-85.
34. Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Coping and adaptation. In: Gentry WD, ed. Handbook of behavioral medicine. New York: The Guilford Press; 1984. pp 282-325.
35. McGills, Hall L. Quality work environments for nurse and patient safety. Toronto: Jones & Batlett Publishers; 2005.
36. International Council of Nurses. Positive practice environments: quality workplace-quality patient care. Geneva: ICN, 2007.
37. Datsis A, Tragouda E, et al. The opinion of health professionals for their work and the work environment. Nursing 2007;46:2:268-81.