Aim
To better understand occupational stress faced by nurse academics.
Methods
A mixed‐methods systematic review, following the Joanna Briggs Institute [JBI], (Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers’ Manual: 2014 edition, 2014) process. Studies were assessed for quality and risk of bias by using standardised critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute. In addition, processes and reporting were checked against the Equator guidelines. See Appendix S1.
Results
The review revealed that nursing academics do experience occupational stress, including burnout. Occupational stress for academic nurses is associated with various factors including work–life balance, workload issues, resources and support, and adapting to change. However, much of the literature focuses on nurses during the initial transition from clinical to academic environment, with rather less focus on established mid‐to‐late career nurse academics.
Discussion
Occupational stress and burnout are evident in the university academic workforce, adversely affecting the well‐being of academic nurses, and the long‐term sustainability of the academic nursing workforce. While there is considerable literature focusing on the novice academic nurse, particularly during the transition period, rather less is known about occupational stress among academic nurses across the career trajectory. Various strategies to deal with the negative consequences of occupational stress are identified, including (a) quality mentors for novice and younger nursing academics; (b) training in resilience building for novice academics; (c) supporting collegial relationships and reducing bullying; (d) assistance for professional development and research; (e) better support and resources to overcome increasing workloads; and (f) greater work‐related empowerment to enhance job satisfaction.
Conclusion
There is a need for a broader whole‐of‐career research focus to more fully identify, explore and mitigate the occupational stressors that negatively affect the academic nurse workforce.
Relevance to clinical practice
A strong and resilient academic nurse workforce is essential for the sustainability of the profession.
Organisations should review their work practices and provide greater work‐related empowerment to reduce occupational stressors among nursing academics.
Increasing numbers of international students from Asia are attracted to Australian higher education institutions. For many of these students, English is their second language (ESL). This article describes the experiences of 21 Taiwanese baccalaureate and graduate nursing students studying at Australian universities. Using a qualitative framework, semistructured interviews were conducted in the students'first language. The Chinese and English translations of the transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. A picture emerges of Taiwanese nursing students who, despite obstacles, found a "joy of learning" in Australia. They developed strategies to overcome obstacles to their learning and advocated greater institutional and faculty support, including mentorship, for international students. The findings reinforce the unique difficulties ESL nursing students experience and highlight institutional and nursing faculties' responsibilities to develop a curriculum framework that addresses the language, pedagogical, academic, clinical, and sociocultural needs of this unique group of international students.
We report a case of mycotic aneurysms due to Staphylococcus aureus infection in the left anterior descending coronary artery in a 56-year-old male after implantation of a sirolimus-eluting stent. This is an unreported complication of a drug-eluting stent.
This article will present the findings of a research study that investigated the extent to which mental health nurses employed within rural and metropolitan areas of Australia are affected by burnout, using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and a demographic questionnaire. The study also examined whether the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was a valid measure of mental health burnout within the Australian context and culture or alternatively, in what ways it needed to be refined? A cross-sectional study of mental health nurses (n = 319) from the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia was undertaken. The 22-item Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout and a demographic questionnaire utilising a cluster sampling, cross-sectional design survey method, was used to gather the data. The study found that gender and level of qualification were the two major factors that showed any significance, where males experienced a higher level of depersonalisation on the frequency and intensity sub-scale scores of the MBI and that the more qualified a nurse, the greater the level of depersonalisation they experienced. These results were true for participants in both rural and metropolitan settings within Australia. Age was the third most influencing factor in terms of emotional exhaustion, where younger participants (under 30) reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion. Younger male mental health nurses experienced higher levels of depersonalisation.
People from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds hold attitudes, values and beliefs surrounding health, illness and mental health issues that are not fully in harmony with Western approaches to health care. In particular, mental health services do not adequately meet the specific needs of CALD communities, a situation that is a violation of sound health care access and rights. A number of damning government reports highlight the inadequacies of the system. CALD groups that experience mental illness have the problem of dual vulnerabilities. They are disadvantaged on at least two fronts: The marginalization and stigmatization associated with mental illness and the access and utilization of services. This paper reviews the context of mental health service delivery in Australia. There is agreement that the needs of these people are only marginally being met at best despite individual and collective efforts to address the issue.
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