Relationships Between Sleep Problems and Stress Coping Strategies Adopted by Nurses Including Socio-Occupational Factors

Introduction: The health of nurses has a direct impact on the quality of care and health outcomes for patients. The length and quality of sleep as well as the intensity of perceived stress have an impact on the health of nurses. An appropriate stress coping strategy can reduce the impact of stress and mitigate its negative consequences.Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between excessive sleepiness and insomnia in interaction with selected socio-occupational factors and stress coping strategies among nurses.Material and Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted among 448 nurses working in hospitals in Podlasie Province in Poland. Mini-Cope inventory - the polish adaptation of Carver's BriefCope was used for measuring coping with stress. Sleep problems were assessed using the Athens Insomnia Scale and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.Results: The most frequent used coping strategies were active strategies (active coping, planning). The least-used were avoidant strategies (behavioral disengagement, substance use). Excessive sleepiness affected 38% of surveyed, while insomnia 33%. Excessive sleepiness was most strongly related with behavioural disengagement (R2 = 18.6%), substance use (R2 = 17.5%), humour (R2 = 13.8%) and denial (R2 = 12.0%) while insomnia with substance use (R2 = 17.5%) and self-blame (R2 = 15.9%). Nurses with tertiary education experiencing sleep problems less frequently used the strategy of humour, behavioural disengagement, substance use and religion than with lower education. Nurses working in interventional wards experiencing excessive sleepiness used the strategy of humour, religion and positive reframing less often than those working in other wards while those suffering from insomnia used the strategy of humour more often than those working in other wards.Conclusions: The implementation of avoidant and support-seeking and emotion-oriented stress coping strategies by nurses were associated with the sleep problems. Tertiary education discourages nurses with sleep problems from using avoidant coping strategies and devoting themselves to religion. Education and improvement of the quality of sleep may prevent nurses from resorting to stress coping strategies that have a detrimental effect on their health and well-being

Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace as an Aspect of Horizontal Segregation in the Nursing Profession

The purpose of this article was to assess the influence of psychosocial hazards as a factor affecting the presence of men in the nursing profession. The article refers to the topic of particularly low representation of men among nursing staff in Poland, in comparison to what similar statistics show for other countries. The aim of the study was to assess whether the psychosocial hazards in the nursing profession constitute a significant factor in the small number of men present in this occupation. In this article psychosocial hazards are considered as all the aspects of management and work organization that may negatively affect the employee's mental and physical health. The research was conducted from September 2017 to April 2018 in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (Poland). A total of 640 respondents working as nurses in inpatient health care facilities, of which 87% were women and 13% were men, were included in the study. A standardized Work Design Questionnaire for an objective assessment of work stressfulness was used as a research tool. The research has been run by a group of experts, who explained the aim and the meaning of the particular questions to the surveyed group. Afterwards, based on the answers and observations of the responders, the experts filled in the questionnaire. The results of the study show that in almost all the evaluated aspects, the nursing profession was assessed more negatively by surveyed men than women. The most negative aspects reported by women included hazards (a score of 60), complexity (58.3), and haste (50.0), while those reported by men included haste (70.0), complexity (66.7), and hazards (65.0). As a conclusion it has been noticed, that results received from the research confirm that psychosocial hazards may have significant impact on the number of men present in the nursing profession in Poland. This study also suggests that the greater psychosocial hazards experienced by male nurses in the workplace may be an effect of the particularly low representation of men among practicing nursing staff

Subjective assessment of occupational stress and mental health of nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic period

IntroductionHealth status, sickness absence, and nurses’ attrition have a direct impact on the quality of care provided and patients’ health outcomes. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated issues that existed within the Polish healthcare system prior to the pandemic, including staff shortages, low wages, and system inadequacies. The aim of this study was to investigate how nurses during the Covid-19 pandemic period rated the burdensomeness of job characteristics and their mental health status, as well as the correlations between factors directly caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and nurses’ subjective assessments of job characteristics and mental health.MethodThe cross-sectional study was conducted in January 2022, in Poland and involved 796 registered nurses working in hospitals.ResultsDespite the pandemic’s sweeping societal effects, this research finds limited alteration in nurses’ perceptions of job stress and self-assessed mental health. Factors such as contact with infected patients, quarantine, and isolation do not appear to substantially modify mental health perceptions among nurses. Intriguingly, nurses subjected to COVID-19 testing report heightened stress and compromised mental health.ConclusionThe interplay of diverse factors influencing the well-being of nurses is intricately complex. It is advisable to prudently execute interventions and strategies to address the pandemic, aiming to alleviate its potential adverse effects on the mental health of nurses

Influence of selected sociodemographic factors on psychosocial workload of nurses and association of this burden with absenteeism at work

Background: The aim of this study has been to determine if sociodemographic factors: age, sex and duration of employment as well as the presence of chronic comorbidities exert significant effect on subjective assessment of psychosocial working conditions of nurses. Moreover, we analyzed whether the abovementioned variables influenced the level of absenteeism at work during a year preceding the study. Material and Methods: The study, conducted between December 2012 and January 2013, included 789 nurses employed at public and private healthcare institutions in Białystok. The participants were surveyed by means of the “Psychosocial Working Conditions” questionnaire. Results: Women accounted for significantly higher scores of the Desired Changes Scale and significantly lower values of the Well-being Scale as compared to men. Respondents’ age and duration of employment correlated significantly with the scores of the Demands and Desired Changes Scales. Moreover, we documented significant inverse correlations between the age and tenure and the scores of the Social Support and Well-being Scales. Furthermore, duration of employment was inversely correlated with the results of the Control Scale. The respondents with chronic conditions showed significantly higher scores of the Desired Changes Scale and significantly lower values of the Control and Well-being Scales. We found an inverse correlation between the number of sick leave days and the value of the Well-being Scale, which was also the case with a subset of nurses without chronic conditions. Conclusions: Similar to other professional groups, a nursing team management requires the use of human resources management techniques and identification of a person being responsible for coordination of the group and diagnosis of its psychosocial needs. Med. Pr. 2015;66(5):615–62

Patient aggression towards different professional groups of healthcare workers

Introduction Patient aggression affects healthcare quality and, in extreme situations, may even lead to medical malpractice. Little is known, however, about the specific distribution of health care professionals’ exposure to patient aggression in various countries. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the exposure of various professional groups of healthcare personnel to patient aggression, and to identify potential determinants (medical profession, age, gender, professional experience and employment at outpatient/inpatient healthcare units) of this exposure. Material and Methods The study was performed between January 2008 – December 2009 in northeastern Poland, and included 1,624 healthcare workers (493 nurses, 504 midwives, 501 physicians and 126 medical rescue workers). Exposure to eight forms of patient aggression was assessed using the MDM Mobbing Questionnaire. Results Using a raised voice was the most frequently observed form of aggression in all groups, whereas the least frequent form of aggression encountered was the use of direct physical violence. In inpatient healthcare units, the intensity of patient aggression was encountered most by nurses and medical rescue workers, followed by physicians and midwives. In outpatient healthcare units, medical rescue workers experienced significantly higher levels of aggression when compared to other professional groups. Significant differences in mean aggression intensity experienced in inpatient and outpatient healthcare units were observed only in nurses and physicians. Furthermore, no significant effects of gender were observed on the intensity of patient aggression. Conclusions Nurses are most exposed to different forms of patient aggression, with verbal attacks being most prevalent. Nurses employed at inpatient healthcare units experienced aggression more frequently than those working in outpatient healthcare units

Patient aggression towards different professional groups of healthcare workers

Introduction Patient aggression affects healthcare quality and, in extreme situations, may even lead to medical malpractice. Little is known, however, about the specific distribution of health care professionals’ exposure to patient aggression in various countries. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the exposure of various professional groups of healthcare personnel to patient aggression, and to identify potential determinants (medical profession, age, gender, professional experience and employment at outpatient/inpatient healthcare units) of this exposure. Material and Methods The study was performed between January 2008 – December 2009 in northeastern Poland, and included 1,624 healthcare workers (493 nurses, 504 midwives, 501 physicians and 126 medical rescue workers). Exposure to eight forms of patient aggression was assessed using the MDM Mobbing Questionnaire. Results Using a raised voice was the most frequently observed form of aggression in all groups, whereas the least frequent form of aggression encountered was the use of direct physical violence. In inpatient healthcare units, the intensity of patient aggression was encountered most by nurses and medical rescue workers, followed by physicians and midwives. In outpatient healthcare units, medical rescue workers experienced significantly higher levels of aggression when compared to other professional groups. Significant differences in mean aggression intensity experienced in inpatient and outpatient healthcare units were observed only in nurses and physicians. Furthermore, no significant effects of gender were observed on the intensity of patient aggression. Conclusions Nurses are most exposed to different forms of patient aggression, with verbal attacks being most prevalent. Nurses employed at inpatient healthcare units experienced aggression more frequently than those working in outpatient healthcare units

The effects of stress on workers of emergency team and job satisfaction

Wstęp. Specyfika pracy ratownika medycznego wymaga porozumienia między wszystkimi członkami zespołu ratunkowego. Jakość i skuteczność prowadzonych czynności ratunkowych wymagają stworzenia właściwego systemu organizacyjnego zapewniającego działanie w stanach zagrożenia życia lub zdrowia. Cel pracy. Przedstawienie wpływu agresywnych zachowań ze strony pacjentów i współpracowników na zadowolenie z wykonywanej pracy w grupie ratowników medycznych. Określenie wpływu atmosfery panującej w zespole zintegrowanej opieki medycznej na stosunek do wykonywanej pracy. Materiał i metody. Badania zostały przeprowadzone wśród 126 ratowników medycznych pracujących w lecznictwie zamkniętym w obszarze województwa podlaskiego na przełomie kwietnia i maja 2008 roku. W badaniach wykorzystano kwestionariusze do oceny stopnia i rodzaju agresji wobec ratowników oraz Ogólnego Stanu Zdrowia. Zgromadzony materiał badawczy poddano weryfikacji statystycznej, w której wykorzystano test c2. Wyniki. Wśród osób nielubiących własnej pracy na agresję ze strony przełożonego typu używanie pogróżek i szantaż było narażonych po 43% respondentów. Natomiast w grupie respondentów lubiących własną pracę z tymi formami agresji analogicznie zetknęło się 9% (pogróżki) i 6% (szantaż) ankietowanych. Respondenci, którzy określili atmosferę w pracy jako "niemiłą", byli narażeni (po 100%) na agresję ze strony pacjentów typu "groźni" oraz "wulgarni w obecności współpracowników". W grupie osób, które atmosferę w pracy określiło jako "miłą", 69% miało kontakt z agresją ze strony pacjentów typu "groźni" i 76% "wulgarni w obecności pacjentów". Wnioski. Odsetek ratowników medycznych, którzy mieli kontakt z agresją ze strony przełożonych i współpracowników, był zdecydowanie większy wśród tych, którzy określili swój stosunek do wykonywanej pracy jako "nie lubię swojej pracy" niż wśród tych, którym praca była obojętna lub ją lubili. Zachowania agresywne ze strony pacjentów nie wpływały na stosunek do wykonywanej pracy.Introduction. Specific character of medical rescuer work requires agreement between members of emergency. Quality and efficacy of rescue functions requires establishment of the appropriate organizational structure in the emergency. Aim of the study. to present the influence of patients and coworkers aggressive behaviour on work satisfaction amongst the population of medical rescue workers; to determine the influence of integrated health care team tension on the attitude towards the work performed. Material and methods. Studies were carried out at the turn of April and May 2008 among 126 medical rescue workers working in the hospital treatment within Podlaskie Voivodeship. Questionnaires assessing the sort of aggression towards medical rescue workers and General Health Questionnaires were used. Research material collected was verified statistically by means of chi-square test. Results. Almost 43% of responders whose did not like their job were subjected to chief aggression (threats and blackmails). Responders whose liked their job were subjected to aggression (9% to threats and 6% to blackmails). All responders (100%) whose specified atmosphere in the workplace as "unpleasant" had experienced aggression from patients, they "dangerous" and "vulgar" in the presence of co-workers. In the study group 69% of responders specified atmosphere as pleasant in the workplace. They were subjected to aggression from patients "dangerous" and 76% "vulgar behaviors in front of patients". Conclusions. Percentage of medical rescuers whose experienced chief and co-workers aggression was higher whose did not like their job compared to those liked their job. specified Aggressive behaviors of patients did not effect on attitude to job

Factors Determining the Mood and Emotions of Nurses Working in Pediatric Wards—A Pilot Study

Background: Mood and emotions are important aspects of social interactions. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the participation of these emotional states in the implementation of tasks resulting from specific professions. The aim of the study is to identify the factors that determine the mood and emotions of nurses working in pediatric wards. Methods: The pilot studies presented in the paper were carried out using the diagnostic survey method. The collected data were obtained from the authors’ own questionnaire and the standardized measurement tool “Scale for Measuring Mood and Six Emotions” by Bogdan Wojciszke and Wiesław Baryła. The study included 121 nurses working in hospital pediatric wards. The survey questionnaire results were obtained online using Google Forms. Results: Self-assessment of the health condition of nurses is statistically significantly correlated with all emotions and mood (p < 0.05). The better the self-assessment of health, the greater the positive mood measured by the General Mood Scale (GMS) and Mood Scales (MS). The financial situation showed a statistically significant correlation with guilt (p = 0.048), sadness (p = 0.041), and negative mood (p = 0.035). Single people, regardless of gender, were characterized by a greater experience of love (H = 13.497; p < 0.001). The higher the education, the greater the experience of love (p = 0.009). For people with specialization, the presence of negative emotions such as anger (p = 0.039) and guilt (p = 0.049) turned out to be statistically significant. The better the health of children staying in the ward, the higher the negative mood of nurses (p = 0.035). Conclusions: There was a statistically significant relationship between certain demographic factors, self-assessment of health conditions with the specificity of working in pediatric wards, and the experience of mood and different emotions by nurses working with pediatric inpatients