Stress, Fatigue, and Burnout in Nursing

The title of this article is Stress, Fatigue, and Burnout in Nursing. It was written by Suzanne M. Waddill and was published March 2019. The author defines stress as a condition arising from the relationship which exists between a person and the environment he or she lives in. This relationship exceeds the nurse’s resources typically and thus endangering her or his well-being. On the other hand, the author defines burnout as a state of mental, emotional as well as physical exhaustion which is a result of prolonged and excessive stress.

Burnout occurs when a person is emotionally drained, feels overwhelmed, and thus he or she is unable to meet the work demands.

According to the author, the causes of stress in the nursing profession are scheduling pressures, inadequately qualified staff, and increased workload, which require extended working hours. The authors goes ahead to say that the changes in the existing technologies can also cause stress because the nurses must become familiar with new technologies being invented.

A sudden change in a patient’s health status can also be a cause for stress in the nursing profession as well. For example during a code if a patient becomes unresponsive it takes all the members of the healthcare team to help this patient. However, after this patient is resuscitated it is the nurse who will remain at the bedside to care for this patient to bring him or her back to optimal health. This can become a stressful ordeal for the nurse, running tests, monitoring vital signs, intake and output, etc.

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These repetitive moments can take a toll on the nurse, causing stress and subsequently result in burnout. The other causes of stress in the nursing profession are lengthy working hours, bad relationships with managers and co-workers, change in working shifts, and abrupt night shifts (Mujawar &Chaudhary, 2018).

Possible solutions to the problem

One of the ways to avoid stress is allocating some time for fun and relaxation (Segal et-al, 2016). This can only be achieved by making some changes in the person’s daily work schedule. If stress is to be avoided, an individual must always dedicate some time to other activities such as going out for an evening walk or run, or physical exercises. While doing the above activities, an individual should relax, try not to think about work, and enjoy the activity or outing with friends/colleagues while it lasts. It is also during this period where someone can get a chance to share his or her problems with friends. As it is said, “a problem shared is half solved.” Friends can provide pieces of advice and may help deal with stress.

Burn out can be prevented by practicing self-care (Vania, 2019). It is the responsibility of the nurse to take of themselves as they do their patients in order to have a happy/healthy and safe life. When nurses take care of themselves, it increases their work output as well as efficiency at their respective workplaces.

In conclusion, both stress and burnout negatively affect the output of medical personnel within the nursing profession. It is the responsibility of the nurse to find out the causes of stress and burnout and avoid them. The causes must be identified early so that less time is spent preventing the consequences of both stress and burnout. Moreover, nurses should set aside more self-care days, where they refrain from thinking about work and instead work on themselves.

References

1. Mujawar, S & Chaudhary S. (2018). Stress and Burnout in Nursing Profession. JOJ Nursing & Health Care, Volume 6, Issue 3. Doi:10.19080/JOJNHC.2018.06.555690
2. Segal, R., Smith, M & Robinson, L. (2016). Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress. Retrieved from https://www.brainline.org/article/stress-management-how-reduce-prevent-and-cope-stress.
3. Vania, B.N., Gadelha, V.S.M., Sousa, A.V.L & Oliveira, M.S. (2019). Prevention Actions of Burnout Syndrome in Nurses: An Integrating Literature Review. Doi:10.2174/1745017901915010064
4. Waddill, Suzanne, M. (2019). Stress, Fatigue, and Burnout in Nursing. Journal of Radiology Nursing Volume 38, Issue 1, March 2019, Pages 44-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jradnu.2018.10.005