Occupational stress and job satisfaction in mental health nursing: focused interventions through evidence‐based assessment

Abstract

In the UK, over 20 contemporaneous reports have shown that between one-quarter and one-half of National Health Service (NHS) staff report significant personal distress (Weinberg & Creed 2000). There exists a substantial body of evidence to suggest that high levels of stress are endemic throughout the NHS (Anderson et al. 1996), and that many of these stressors may be unique to health care (Payne & Firth-Cozens 1987, Calboun & Calboun 1993). Historically, responsibility for stress management has often been placed at the feet of the employee (Sutherland & Cooper, 2000). This individual orientation has lead to the development of practices designed to treat those exhibiting symptoms of stress, and a relative paucity of interventions oriented to the prevention and the management of workplace stressors. It can also serve to deter scrutiny of injurious workplace conditions, practices and procedures. This small-scale study examines stress and job satisfaction in community mental health nurses in a semirural area of North Wales. Based on self-report questionnaire feedback, focused interventions are described to enhance work satisfaction and help ameliorate occupational stressors. Interventions are described at the level of the individual, the team and the organization as a whole.

Stress and stressors in the clinical environment: a comparative study of fourth‐year student nurses and newly qualified general nurses in Ireland

“…This somewhat exhaustive list can be particularly relevant to nursing (Arnold et al, 1998;Cotrell, 2001). In a study already discussed by Charnley (1999) relating to occupational stress in the newly qualified nurse, the author asserts that low levels of confidence in clinical skills contribute to stress in the newly registered nurse and revealed four main contributory factors.…”

“…While workload can be attributed as a stressor in all professions (Arnold et al, 1998) it has particular relevance to nursing (Arnold et al, 1998;Cotrell, 2001;Nolan and Ryan, 2008). Both groups identified excessive workload as a major source of stress in the clinical environment.…”

Evaluation of the Nurses’ Job Satisfaction, and Its Association with Their Moral Sensitivities and Well-being

“…The poor psychological health and the high levels of sickness absence within the healthcare professions are likely to lead to a poorer quality of patient care [3]. Borrill et al (1996) surveyed over 11000 NHS staff and found more than 28% of the nurses suffered at least minor mental health problems [14]. Wall et al, (1997) found that 27% of the health care staff suffered serious psychological disturbances as compared to 18% of the general working population [12].…”

Occupational Stress and its Management among Nurses at St. Dominic Hospital, Akwatia, Ghana

“…Nurse's environmentcare [11], Stress is acknowledged to be one of the main causes of absence from work [12]. Anxiety, frustration, anger and feelings of inadequacy, helplessness or powerlessness are emotions often associated with stress [13].…”