Effect of Workload on Job Stress of Ghanaian OPD Nurses: The Role of Coworker Support

Predictive factors of occupational stress among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Kashan, Iran

BACKGROUND

Considering the severe and sudden changes in the job conditions of nurses during the covid-19 pandemic, the increase in job tensions during this critical period and its consequences on the quantity and quality of nursing care, this study aims to investigate the job stress of nurses during the covid-19 pandemic and its predictors in Iran.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 nurses in 'Kashan', Iran, who were randomly selected using stratified sampling. Data were collected using two questionnaires on occupational stress and potential related factors. The data were analyzed in SPSS version 16.

RESULTS

The results showed that the occupational stress of nurses in Iran was at a medium to high level with a mean and standard deviation of 103.773 ± 15.742 (scale of 34-136). Factors such as satisfaction with physical health, quality of work life, satisfaction with the availability of facilities, sense of coherence, education level, work experience, job burnout, male gender, being native, and workplace were predictors of occupational stress and explained 23.3% of the variance in occupational stress score. The highest contribution was related to satisfaction with physical health.

CONCLUSION

Considering the consequences of occupational stress for nurses, it is crucial for health and nursing authorities to take these factors into consideration in policy-making and planning.

Assessment of occupational stress among certified registered anesthetists in the Greater Accra region

Background

Work-related stress is a prevailing concern within the community of Certified Registered Anesthetists (CRAs), significantly impacting both the health and professional performance of these individuals. This study aimed to assess work-related stress and its influencing factors among CRAs practicing in the Greater Accra region was examined.

Methods

Using convenience sampling techniques, data were gathered from 140 participants via a Google form questionnaire distributed through WhatsApp. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the collected data, focusing on frequencies and proportions for categorical variables. For continuous variables, bivariate analysis (Chi-square) and ordinal logistic regression were conducted using STATA 16. A p-value <0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Among the 140 CRAs, 20 individuals (14.3%) reported experiencing mild stress levels according to the Weiman Occupational Stress Scale. Approximately 3 out of 4 CRAs (73.6%) reported having moderate stress levels, and 12.1% reported severe stress levels. This indicated that the majority of CRAs experienced moderate levels of stress, which was notably affected by the type of health facility and the use of inadequate or sub-standard equipment in the hospitals.

Conclusion

Based on these findings, the study recommends educational programs and counseling for CRAs to heighten awareness of the demanding nature of their job. Additionally, it suggests the provision of proper resources and standard equipment for CRAs. Facility-level motivation for CRAs is also advised to alleviate their stress. Finally, the study proposes further investigations into the factors contributing to work-related stress among CRAs.

Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress and associated reasons among Iranian primary healthcare workers: a mixed method study

BACKGROUND

Different mental disorders may be associated with many work-related factors to which primary health care workers (PHCWs) are exposed. The current research aims to measure the rates of depression, anxiety, and stress among PHCWs, and their associated causes in primary health care (PHC) settings.

METHODS

An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was employed in this research from January 2021 to January 2022 in Tabriz, Iran's PHC centers. First, this study followed an online-based cross-sectional survey using a self-reported questionnaire. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21) and questions on demographic and work-related characteristics were completed by 303 frontline PHCWs during the quantitative phase. In the qualitative phase, a semi-structured interview was held with 12 PHCWs who had the highest level of depression, anxiety, and stress to identify the reasons and sources of mental health prevalence. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics via SPSS-26. A content analysis was performed to analyze qualitative data.

RESULTS

The results showed that self-reported stress, anxiety, and depression had a prevalence of 40.3%, 42.9%, and 42.6%, respectively. Symptoms of at least one mental disorder were experienced by 54% of respondents, while 28% had all three. Major sources of stress, anxiety, and depression among PHCWs were working environment conditions, organizational policies, job-related reasons, and interpersonal relations.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of current study indicated that PHCWs experienced high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The main factors and reasons that contributed to these mental health issues among PHCWs were work environment conditions, organizational policies, job-related reasons and interpersonal relations. Therefore, interventions should be implemented to promote mental health of PHCWs. This can include measures such as psychological screening, supportive care, workload management, flexible scheduling, and access to mental health resources. Additionally, training programs can be implemented to enhance resilience and coping skills among healthcare professionals.

How can proactive personality affect cabin attendants' safety behaviors? The moderating roles of social support and safety climate

Cabin attendants are mainly responsible for maintaining in-flight safety, and they are crucial to enhance air travel safety and alleviate passenger concerns. The objective of this study is to explore relationships between proactive personality, social support, safety climate and safety behaviors among cabin attendants. A self-assessment questionnaire was used to investigate a sample of 560 cabin attendants from China Southern Airlines Ltd. The results show that proactive personality and safety climate positively influence cabin attendants' safety behaviors. Social support was found to weaken the positive effect of proactive personality on safety behaviors. Furthermore, social support and safety climate jointly moderate the relationship between proactive personality and safety behaviors, suggesting that this relationship is the strongest when the levels of social support and safety climate are both high. Theoretical and practical implications for researchers and practitioners in designing interventions and strategies to promote safety behaviors in an airline context are discussed.

Association Between Risk Factors and Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Laboratory Professionals-an European Perspective

Background

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a large group of diseases that severely affect work productivity and quality of life.

Objective

To examine the differences in the prevalence of MSDs among laboratory professionals (LP) and to assess their association with individual, psychosocial, and occupational risk factors.

Methods

In a multicenter, cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was distributed online through professional association networks. Participants were divided into two groups based on their territorial affiliation-European Union (EU) and non-EU member states. Descriptive and inferential statistics were included in the analysis, and statistical significance was set at ≤0.05.

Results

A total of 640 LPs from 20 European countries participated in the study, predominantly females (78.4%) with university degree (59.4%) and mean age of 41.2 ± 10.1 years. Statistically significant differences between groups were confirmed for several variables studied: neck flexion > 15o (p = 0.008), hands at chest level (p = 0.000), longer screen time, and sitting (p = 0.000). One-third of participants reported wrist (35.6%), shoulder (32.7%), and elbow (31.6%) pain, while low back pain was more common (48.9%). A statistically significant association was confirmed between the incidence of MSDs and stress at work, repetitive movements, and prolonged standing (p = 0.000). Several variables showed significant correlations with MSDs in different body parts (p <0.05).

Conclusion

Our results show a higher prevalence of MSDs in LPs and recommend the development of targeted prevention programs and additional measures to modify the work environment and organizational activities.

Effects of personalized music intervention on nurse burnout: A feasibility randomized controlled trial

Burnout is highly prevalent among nurses; however, the effect of personalized music intervention on burnout remains unclear on nurses. We aimed to investigate the effects of personalized music intervention in relieving burnout among nurses. Forty-two eligible nurses were recruited for an assessor-blinded, two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial. The participants were randomly assigned to the following two groups: The personalized music group (n = 21), which listened to music of their choice for 30 min per session three times per week for 5 weeks; and the wait-list control group (n = 21), which did not listen to any music for relaxation. At baseline, nurses in the personalized music group had worse emotional exhaustion and greater depression compared with the wait-list control group. Results from an analysis of covariance using baseline emotional exhaustion and depression as covariates indicated that nurses who received personalized music intervention experienced less emotional exhaustion than the nurses in the wait-list control experienced. Personalized music intervention can be used for nurses as an adjuvant approach to reduce emotional exhaustion and then improve their well-being.

Effects of workload and job stress on the shift work disorders among nurses: PLS SEM modeling

Nurses, as the largest forces in the health system, are always challenged with various work responsibilities such as long working hours, lack of manpower and death of patients. This study aimed at providing a model of the relationship between workload and physical and mental health, sleep disorders, and individual and family problems by the mediation role of job stress. The present study is a cross-sectional study that was conducted on 300 nurses in a specialty and sub-specialty hospital in Tehran. For this reason, various questionnaires including demographic, survey of shift workers (SOS) and job stress questionnaires were used to collect the desired data. The proposed model was presented using structural equation modeling method based on Smart-PLS and SPSS-20 software. The results show that workload has an effect on job stress (β=0.747), mental health (β=-0.291), Physical health (β=-0.253), sleep quality (β=-0.234) and personal and family problems (β=-0.206). Also the results of this study show that job stress has an effect on mental health (β=-0.295), Physical health (β=-0.349), sleep quality (β=-0.295) and Personal and family problems (β=-0.441). In conclusion, results showed that the data fitted well with the model and that workload is associated with physical and mental problems, sleep disorders and individual and family problems both directly and indirectly through job stress mediation.

Based on Role Expectation to Discuss Role Ambiguity and Practice of University Teachers in Business Administration

As a result of social change, the issues, such as the complexity of family structure and increasing student problems, are becoming more complicated. Both schools and parents have high expectations of teachers and expect them to solve the problems. Considering the many different factors involved in this issue, this could lead to a psychological and physiological imbalance in teachers, especially in relation to their emotions which results in role ambiguity. The participants of this study consisted of teachers in business administration departments of universities in China. During the data collection, 450 copies of the questionnaire were distributed. A total of 363 valid copies were retrieved, with a retrieval rate of 81%. It can be concluded that the results of this study can help national university faculty present professional spirit and attitude toward the professional service, which in turn promotes the standard of national education in universities.

Perceived job demands: a qualitative study of workplace stress in the Iranian healthcare workers (HCWs)

OBJECTIVES

Work-related stress is a common risk factor among healthcare workers (HCWs). In Iran, the healthcare system has undergone extensive changes to develop services. Organisational change has led to the creation of new working conditions for HCWs. The purpose of this study is to identify job demands that health workers perceive as stressors.

DESIGN

As a qualitative study, semistructured interviews, a focus group, and related data were analysed both inductively and deductively with reference to the job demand component based on the job demands-resources model and MAXQDA.

SETTING

This investigation was conducted in 18 primary healthcare centres in Qazvin, Iran.

PARTICIPANT

Twenty-one female HCWs with at least 6 months of work experience and an average age of 34.4 years.

RESULTS

The participants identified six key elements as the stressful job demands including organisation's supervisory function, role characteristics, workload, job insecurity, client service challenges and perceived job content.

CONCLUSIONS

After organisational changes and development, HCWs were faced with role changes and increased workload. In addition, organisational supervision in terms of quantity and quality and lack of job security intensified the pressures. These factors led to the high level of stress among employees who dealt with people and those who perceived their job content as unfavourable. Perhaps teaching stress control skills and organisational support interventions can be useful to reduce and control stress among HCWs.

Impact of emotional intelligence on work performance: The mediating role of occupational stress among nurses

INTRODUCTION

An occupational stress was reported as an inhibitor of optimal performance among nurses. Emotional intelligence (EI) has emerged as a successful behavioral buffer against occupational stress and as a facilitator for better performance. This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between nurses' EI and their work performance; and to examine the mediating role of occupational stress.

DESIGN

A predictive correlational design was adopted.

METHOD

Self-reported questionnaires were administered to 391 full-time bedside nurses recruited from one of the big hospitals in Saudi Arabia, between April and June 2021. Data were coded and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25.0. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. The significance level for all tests was set at p ≤ 0.05. Bonferroni correction method was used to control the family-wise error rate.

RESULTS

The findings revealed an affirmative association between nurses' EI and work performance (β = 0.69, p < 0.001; r²  = 0.483). Additionally, an inverse association was established between nurses' EI and their perception of occupational stress (β = -0.54, p < 0.001; r²  = 0.286), and between nurses' perception of occupational stress and work performance (β = -0.52; p < 0.001; r²  = 0.226). Additionally, our results showed that occupational stress played a mediating role in the relationship between nurses' EI and work performance.

CONCLUSION

This study presented a novel framework that includes two factors affecting work performance among nurses in Saudi Arabia. Our results suggest that EI is vital for effective work performance among nurses. Additionally, EI was found to be a useful coping strategy against occupational stress.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

EI has been described as a valuable asset for better performance and effective group cohesiveness among nurses. Optimal nurses᾽ performance leads to meeting patients᾽ needs and organizational goals.

Malaria Knowledge-Base and Prevalence of Parasitaemia in Asymptomatic Adults in the Forest Zone of Ghana

PURPOSE

To determine the levels of knowledge, awareness and perception of malaria, and to determine the infection status among asymptomatic adults in selected districts.

METHODS

This descriptive, cross-sectional study recruited 849 participants from seven districts in the malaria meso-endemic forest zone of Ghana. Questionnaires were administered to elicit responses from asymptomatic adults on malaria awareness, knowledge and insecticide-treated net (ITN) usage. Capillary blood samples were taken from study subjects for malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) and microscopy. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse quantitative and qualitative data.

RESULTS

Ninety-eight percent of participants were aware of malaria, 94.0% owned ITNs but only 35.5% consistently used them. Also, 56.7% correctly associated malaria with mosquitoes and 54.5% identified stagnant water as the breeding site. Twelve percent (12.2%) and 13.1% of the subjects tested positive for malaria via RDT and microscopy, respectively. Of the 111 confirmed malaria cases, 107 had Plasmodium falciparum infections, two had Plasmodium ovale infections and there were two Plasmodium falciparum-Plasmodium ovale mixed infections.

CONCLUSION

Awareness and knowledge of malaria was satisfactory but this did not translate into mosquito avoidance behaviour due to deep-seated perceptions and myths. With the prevalence of asymptomatic parasitaemia observed, this reservoir of infection could be dislodged with appropriate health education targeted at women in the rural communities.

Association of work environment with stress and depression among Japanese workers

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of studies that investigated the effect of a wide range of work environmental factors on stress and depression in Japan. OBJECTIVES: To examine the association of work environment factors with stress and depression among workers in Japan. METHODS: We conducted questionnaire surveys of workers that mainly engage in desk work in Japan. Stress was assessed through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), depression through the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and work environment through physical and psychological workplace environment questionnaires. Workers were divided into low and high stress groups based on PSS score (median split), and divided into non-depressed and depressed groups based on their PHQ-9 score (< 5, and ≥5); these groups were then compared with their working environment. In addition, a multiple regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 210 subjects. Multiple regression analysis showed that “Ability to work at one’s own pace” and “Ability to apply personal viewpoint to work,” etc., had effect on stress, while “Workplace harassment” and “Support from colleagues,” etc., had effect on depression. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that stress and depression in Japanese workers are related to factors such as job demands, control of work, workplace harassment, and psychological safety.

Domains of Physical and Mental Workload in Health Work and Unpaid Domestic Work by Gender Division: A Study with Primary Health Care Workers in Brazil

Various studies indicate that workload metrics can be used to assess inequities in the division of labor according to gender and in the mental health of health care professionals. In most studies, the workload is portrayed in a way that does not integrate the different fields of work, that is, work in health services and unpaid domestic work. The objective was to determine the effects of the workload domains of health work and unpaid domestic work according to the gender division of health professionals working in primary health care (PHC), and to analyze the workload as an inducer of anxiety disorders and episodes of depression. This cross-sectional study consisted of 342 health care professionals recruited for interview at primary health care units in the extreme south of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Sociodemographic and occupational variables, workload in PHC and unpaid domestic work, and dichotomies of anxiety disorders and episodes of depression were considered. Poisson and multivariate linear regression models were used for data analysis. Cohen's standardized effect size was used to assess the magnitude of the difference between women and men in terms of workload. The female professionals presented higher scores in terms of PHC work and unpaid domestic work and higher proportions of episodes of depression and anxiety disorders compared to males. The male professionals showed that anxiety disorders presented a medium standardized effect size on domestic workload and the level of frustration with family involvement was higher in those with episodes of depression. The results illustrate that the workload metric is an important indicator of female vulnerability to working conditions in PHC and in the family environment.

A causal model of job stress among Thai nurse-midwives

Objective

To test a causal model of job stress among nurse-midwives working in labor and delivery units in Thailand.

Methods

Random and convenience sampling was used to recruit 282 nurse-midwives with at least 6 months of work experience from 16 regional tertiary hospitals in Thailand. Data were collected from May to December 2020. Research instruments with good internal consistency reliability ranged from 0.83 to 0.91 including the Job Stress Scale and the Thai version of the Job Content Questionnaire (TJCQ). Descriptive statistics and a structural equation model were used for data analysis.

Results

Job demands were the strongest predictor of job stress. At the theoretical level, high job control plays a crucial role in directly reducing job stress. However, the present research provides contrary evidence to the theoretical predictions. When nurse-midwives perceive high job control, they perceive pressure to meet the expectations of their supervisors and colleagues. Therefore, high job control can contribute to job stress. Likewise, job support had an indirect effect on job stress among nurse-midwives through job control. The modified model fitted the empirical data (χ 2 = 57.76, df = 22, CMIN/df = 2.62, goodness of fit (GFI) =0.96, adjusted goodness of fit (AGFI) =0.91, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.95, and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.07). The effects of job demands, job control, and job support on job stress among Thai nurse-midwives can explain 67% of the model's total variance for job stress.

Conclusions

Nurse-midwives who encounter high job demands and less control over their work control suffer from job stress. Job support does not directly affect nurse-midwives’ job stress but influences it through perceived job control. Strategies to decrease job stress among Thai nurse-midwives should focus on how to balance job demands, and enhance job control, and job support.

Work stress in nurses returning to tertiary a general hospitals in China after the delivery of their second child: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the current situation of work stress in nurses returning to work in Chinese tertiary A general hospitals after giving birth to their second child and to analyze influencing factors.

METHODS

From January to April 2021, 448 nurses returning to work after the birth of their second child, working in 23 general hospitals in China, were investigated and completed the postpartum work stress scale and self-rating depression scale.

RESULTS

The total work stress score of returning nurses after giving birth to their second child was 90.40 ± 18.29, and the dimension with the highest score was the role commitment of the mother. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that family monthly income, turnover intention, time since returning to work, age of the first child, and depressive symptoms were the influencing factors on work stress.

CONCLUSION

It is important to reduce the work stress of the nurses returning to work after the birth of their second child. Nursing managers should pay attention to this group of postpartum nurses and formulate targeted measures to alleviate their work stress.

Work and active aging: is there a relationship between health and meaning in life?

Purpose

This study aims to explain the health impact of work demands and organization, job content, leadership and values in the workplace. It also explores the extent to which health conditions influence the meaning in life in late career.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of 1,330 Portuguese-based individuals aged 55–75 years. The structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for the data analysis and to test the research questions.

Findings

The results showed that stress and burnout are influenced by work demands and organization, job content, leadership and values in the workplace. Employment status had no influence. Health status affects the meaning in life.

Research limitations/implications

Although participants were asked to answer the questionnaire bearing in mind their last work experience, retirees could have had difficulty reporting on their last work; therefore, in future research, the use of a qualitative methodology could also be equated as to complement richer information regarding past experiences in the work context.

Practical implications

Considering the main goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, this study contributes, namely, to the third one – Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. In fact, directing a look at the condition in which older people work and at their health contributes not only to more productive organizations, to less spending of public money on health, but also to a more inclusive society. Bearing in mind workers are progressively retiring later and that the exposure to certain work conditions during the late career is problematic for organizations and for society in general, this study has practical and social implication.

Originality/value

Considering demographic changes and the aging of the active population in Portugal and the scarce studies carried out in the country concerning this relevant theme, the authors believe that the conclusions may constitute an important input for workplace policies regarding older workers. In addition, little research has focused on the effect of health in meaning in life.

Precarious Employment and Chronic Stress: Do Social Support Networks Matter?

Precarious employment has been identified as a potentially damaging stressor. Conversely, social support networks have a well-known protective effect on health and well-being. The ways in which precariousness and social support may interact have scarcely been studied with respect to either perceived stress or objective stress biomarkers. This research aims to fill this gap by means of a cross-sectional study based on a non-probability quota sample of 250 workers aged 25–60 in Barcelona, Spain. Fieldwork was carried out between May 2019 and January 2020. Employment precariousness, perceived social support and stress levels were measured by means of scales, while individual steroid profiles capturing the chronic stress suffered over a period of a month were obtained from hair samples using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodology. As for perceived stress, analysis indicates that a reverse buffering effect exists (interaction B = 0.22, p = 0.014). Steroid biomarkers are unrelated to social support, while association with precariousness is weak and only reaches significance at p < 0.05 in the case of women and 20ß dihydrocortisone metabolites. These results suggest that social support can have negative effects on the relationship between perceived health and an emerging stressful condition like precariousness, while its association with physiological measures of stress remains uncertain.

Moderating Effect of Psychological Well-Being on the Effect of Workplace Safety Climate on Job Stress

AIM

The main purpose of this study is to reveal the moderating effect of psychological well-being on the effect of workplace safety climate on job stress.

METHODS

: The cross-sectional study was designed inclusive of the use of the survey method. 291 healthcare professionals returned the survey forms, among those, 75.9% of the participants were women, and the mean age of the sample was 32.83±6.03. Most of the participants (66.6%) had a Bachelor's degree or higher. We analyzed the data using, a structural equation modeling framework used to test both direct and mediating effects. Hayes' (2013) Model 4 was used to identify the mediating role of psychological well-being on the effect of workplace safety climate on job stress.

RESULTS

:According to the analysis results, the created model is significant, and psychological well-being plays a mediating role on the effect of workplace safety climate on job stress, reinforcing the negative effect of workplace safety climate on job stress.

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed that first the safety environment perceived by the employees reduces their stress. Second, psychological well-being plays a mediating role in relation to the effect of safety climate on job stress. This role contributes to the reduction of stress through the improvement of the safety climate.

The Impact of Enforced Working from Home on Employee Job Satisfaction during COVID-19: An Event System Perspective

During the COVID-19 pandemic, working from home (WFH) became the only option for many organizations, generating increasing interest in how such arrangements impact employee job satisfaction. Adopting an event system perspective, this study employed an online survey to capture the WFH experiences of 256 workers from 66 Chinese enterprises during the pandemic. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), the study examined how satisfaction was affected by five job characteristics when working from home: longevity (time), home workspace suitability (space), job autonomy (criticality), digital social support (novelty) and monitoring mechanisms (disruption). The findings reveal that three configurations promote employee job satisfaction and that a suitable home workspace is a core condition. In the absence of a suitable workspace, digital social support and an appropriate monitoring mechanism, long-term WFH was found to undermine job satisfaction. However, job autonomy is not a necessary condition for employee job satisfaction. These findings have clear implications for theory and practice.

Job stress and resilience in Iranian nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case-control study

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a wide range of sociocultural pressures on nurses. Resilience is defined as one's ability to adapt to an unpredictable situation and it can be a factor in accepting an undesirable psychosocial situation.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the present study was to examine resilience in nurses in the face of job stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

The study was carried out as a case-control study with participation of 400 nurses as the target group (nurses exposed to COVID-19 patients) and the control group (nurses not exposed to COVID-19 patients). To examine resilience and job stress, Conor and Davidson's questionnaire and OSIPOW questionnaire were used respectively.

RESULTS

The mean scores of job stress and resilience were significantly different between the target and control groups (p < 0.05). So that resilience in the target group was less than that in the control group. In addition, job stress in the target group was higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). There was a significant and negative correlation between resilience and job stress and the correlation was stronger in the target group (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Given the high job stress score in the participants and its negative correlation with resilience, there is need to provide the health personnel with efficient preventive and treatment approaches, improve and educate the principles of resilience, improve mental health services system, and introduce programs to control some of demographical factors in job stress such as physical activity, and employment status of nurses.

Mental workload and occupational burnout among the faculty members and administrative staff of Yazd Public Health School

BACKGROUND

Administrative staff may be exposed to a great deal of the mental workload (MWL) due to the long working hours and the responsibility of responding to large numbers of clients. Occupational burnout (OB) is one of the issues that can be affected by MWL. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between mental MWL and OB, as well as the internal interactions between OB dimensions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional and descriptive (correlation) study was conducted among faculty members and administrative staff of public health school of Yazd province. Samples were collected through the simple random sampling. NASA task load index and Maslach questionnaire were used for the assessment of MWL and OB, respectively. Frequency and percentage were used for the descriptive analysis. Spearman, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests were used for inferential statistics.

RESULTS

Ultimately, 29 individuals from faculty members and 82 individuals from administrative staff participated in this study. Most of the participants (73.9%) had experienced many MWL instances in performing their jobs duties. No significant relationship between MWL with OB and MWL with any of the demographic characteristics was found, as well (P > 0.05). In case of OB, a significant relationship was discovered between depersonalization with gender and personal accomplishment with work section (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

MWL cannot be considered as a contributing factor of OB of the administrative staff because no significant relationship has been noted between them. Reducing working hours, selection of suitable staff, and allowing a few minutes to rest on a daily basis represent the suggested solutions for reducing the MWL of staff.

Healthcare in Ghana amidst the coronavirus pandemic: a narrative literature review

The Coronavirus pandemic has caused more deaths than any other single disease since the outbreak was confirmed. The World Health Organization in collaboration with national and international health agencies continues to lead the way in bracing global healthcare systems to fight the pandemic. There are variations in national capacities towards the preparedness and management of the pandemic. The Government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service, continues to provide policy and operational directions towards the containment of the pandemic. The purpose of this study is to review the setup of the healthcare sector in Ghana in light of the ongoing pandemic. This study is a narrative literature review in which data was extracted from electronic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus and Ebscohost that published Covid-19 research articles from Ghana. Literature was analyzed and discussed based on the structures and systems available in the healthcare sector, as well as trends available from the global perspective. The healthcare sector in Ghana continues to support the citizenry in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. The government provides regular updates and continue to pledge their support in dealing with the effects of the pandemic. Challenges with accessibility, workforce, funding, and infrastructure remain the major hindrances in fighting the pandemic. The government and healthcare partners need to continually reform the healthcare system to meet the increasing demand for healthcare during the pandemic.

An experimental approach for exploring the impacts of work stress on unsafe behaviors

Previous studies have indicated that work stress has a significant impact on unsafe behaviors. This study explored the impacts of work stress on unsafe behaviors quantitatively using experimental methodology by developing a representative operation task to simulate the actual work in coal mines. The participants' work stress and unsafe behaviors were measured by the salivary cortisol concentrations and error rates, respectively. The results indicated that the experimental scenarios could effectively induce work stress, and there was a critical point from where unsafe behaviors were considerably minimized. When the stress level was below the critical point, there was a linear relationship between unsafe behaviors and the stress level. When the stress level was above the critical point, there was a quadratic relationship between them. The stress level below and above the critical point indicated challenge stress and hindrance stress, respectively. The results illustrated the feasibility of the experimental design, providing new ideas to eliminate unsafe behaviors induced by work stress among miners.

Anxiety Effect on Communication Skills in Nursing Supervisors: An Observational Study

Communication represents an essential skill in nurse managers’ performance of everyday activities to ensure a good coordination of the team, since it focuses on the transmission of information in an understandable way. At the same time, anxiety is an emotion that can be caused by demanding and stressful work environments, such as those of nurse managers. The aim of the present study was to analyze the impact of anxiety management on nurse managers’ communication skills. The sample comprised 90 nursing supervisors from hospitals in Madrid, Spain; 77.8% were women, and 22.2% were men, with an average of 10.9 years of experience as nursing supervisors. The instruments used for analysis were the Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire: version five (16PF5) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) questionnaires, validated for the Spanish population. The results showed that emotional stability was negatively affected by anxiety (r = −0.43; p = 0.001), while apprehension was positively affected (r = 0.382; p = 0.000). Nursing supervisors, as managers, were found to possess a series of personality factors and skills to manage stress and communication situations that prevent them from being influenced by social pressure and the opinion of others.

Some health effects of work-related stress among nurses working in critical care units

Occupational stress is a major health problem among nurses. Critical care nurses appear to experience more stress at work compared to others. Stress is associated with multiple system disorders, hormonal, and immunological disturbances, and genetic effects. The aim of our study was the detection of health effects of work-related stress and to investigate the link between stress and immune response, alterations of hormones, and expression of micro-RNA (miRNA) among critical care nurses. An exposed 80 critical care nurses matched to 80 controls were involved in our study. Full history, psychological assessment using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) and a complete clinical examination were done for both groups. Serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine, and free thyroxine (FT4) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, micro-RNA26, and 142 extractions. The exposed group had a mean age of 41 ± 10 years old and mean work duration of 22 ± 9.7 years, matched to 80 controls. The exposed group (32.5%) was associated with severe psychological distress (GHQ scores > 20) compared to only 5% among controls. In addition, the exposed group had a significantly higher level of miRNA 26, miRNA 142, TSH, LH, and IL-6 when compared to the control group. However, there a significantly lower level of FT4 among the exposed group compared to the control group, there were no statistically significant differences between the studied participants regarging FT3,FSH and IL-10 levels. Stress is prevalent among critical care nurses and is reflected on their psychological health with an increase in inflammatory cytokines and disturbances in endocrine functions.

The reverse buffering effects of social support on the relationships between stresses and mental health: a survey of Chinese adults during the COVID-19 lockdown

BACKGROUND

People lived through different types of stresses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and stresses from different sources are believed to associate differently with mental health.

OBJECTIVES

The current study aims to examine the relationship between types of stresses and mental health among the general Chinese adult population, and further explore the moderating role of social support in these relationships.

METHODS

This study was conducted from 1 to 10 February 2020, and 2441 participants were recruited through an online cross-sectional survey from 31 provinces in China. We used multiple linear regression analyses to examine the associations among stresses' types, social support, and mental health.

RESULTS

The study revealed that all types of stresses were associated with more mental health symptoms. Stresses from lockdown policy presented stronger associations with mental health symptoms (Beta = 0.387 for depressive symptoms and Beta = 0.385 for post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS)) than stresses from pandemic fear (Beta = 0.195 for depressive symptoms and Beta = 0.221 for PTSS). Moreover, greater social support enhanced the positive associations between stresses and mental health symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Stresses from lockdown policies during the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic are worthy of more attention. We urge more interventions are required to reduce the side-effect of lockdown policies, and also discuss implications for mental health promotion.

Determinants of emotional exhaustion among nursing workforce in urban Ghana: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The subject of emotional exhaustion organisations has become important because of the emerging trends in employment and its associated challenges. Unhealthy practice environment is a major threat in the incidence of emotional exhaustion among nurses; and any organisational culture that do not support its personnel has huge burnout costs. The study aimed at assessing rate of emotional exhaustion; determining factors that accounts for it and also ascertaining the coping strategies used by nurses to overcome it in the Ghanaian health care setting.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study with a proportionate stratified sampling was used to draw a sample from five health facilities. A standardized questionnaire of Professional Practice Environment Scale of Nursing Work Index, Maslach Burnout Inventory and Coping Scale were used to assess variables under study. The STROBE guidelines were followed in reporting this study.

RESULTS

Out of the 232 registered nurses studied, 91.1% of them reported experiencing moderate to high rate of emotional exhaustion. The practice environment of the nurses explained 39.6% of the variance in emotional exhaustion. Emotion-focused and problem-focused approaches were identified to be used by registered nurses to cope with emotional exhaustion.

CONCLUSION

When appropriate and effective intervention are employed, emotional exhaustion will be reduce and this will enrich the effectiveness of quality care delivery to patients.

The impact of heavy nurse workload and patient/family complaints on workplace violence: An application of human factors framework

Aim

To examine the relationships between workload factors at different systems levels (unit level, job level and task level), patients/family complaints and nurse reports of patient violence towards them using a human factors framework.

Design

This is a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data.

Methods

Data from 528 nurses working in medical-surgical settings in British Columbia, Canada, were analysed. At the unit-level workload factors included patient-RN ratios, patient acuity and dependency; at the job-level perceptions of heavy workload, undone nursing tasks and compromised professional standards due to workload; and at the task-level interruptions to workflow.

Results

Workload factors at multiple levels were directly related to workplace violence. Nurses' increased reports of compromised standards (job level) and interruptions (task level) were related to increased reports of physical and emotional violence, and higher patient acuity (unit level) was related to increased reports of emotional violence. Patient/family complaints mediated the relationship between almost all the workload factors and workplace violence.