Executive Summary
This policy review is intended to address one of the most critical issues in the healthcare sector. Increasing stress levels is a negative factor that significantly affects the well-being and efficiency of employees through the deterioration of their mental state. The paper provides an understanding of the impact of stress on workers, the consequences, and methods of relief. Practical recommendations are also outlined based on the study’s findings.
Introduction
The healthcare industry is quite demanding in relation to workers’ responsibilities since the health and lives of many patients may depend on them. The problem of being overworked and stressed due to an increased workload hurts the mental state of medical staff. In this context, elucidating the consequences of stress and its impact on health and finding strategies to improve the health of nurses and doctors is imperative.
Research Overview
The recommendations in this paper are intended to solve the problem of increased stress levels that affect employees’ health. The main reasons for this state of affairs are high workload and organizational pressure. The approach to the study was to conduct it by studying academic sources that reveal the topics of stress and overwork in the workplace in the specifics of different clinics. The research group consisted of the author of this paper, who was responsible for all stages of writing the work. Data collection occurred by searching relevant literature in databases. The study’s results identified the main consequences of stress and developed strategies for improving the situation.
Discussion of Research Findings
The study’s result was identifying the causes of employee stress. One reason is the excessive number of patients and the inability to rest. Prolonged exposure significantly impacts the health of nurses and doctors. Another reason is the emotional burden of patient losses and suffering in certain situations. This condition puts much strain on the mental system and contributes to the production of stress (Singh et al., 2020). The third reason is organizational changes and little time to prepare for them.
One of the biological consequences of stress is its effect on the cardiovascular system. This may subsequently lead to the risk of dangerous diseases in this area (Jun et al., 2021). Stress also significantly affects the immune system by suppressing its responses to external threats (Davey et al., 2021).
The third point is the neurological consequences that can manifest themselves in the form of impaired decision-making ability. Thus, these factors have a complex effect that significantly reduces the abilities of personnel. Stress can also cause a person to change behavior through decreased concentration, physical discomfort, and decreased resilience to problems.
Conclusion
It is necessary to implement some methods to reduce stress, one of which is a mindfulness program. It can increase awareness of stress and coping mechanisms (De Hert, 2020). In addition, an important recommendation is the introduction of employee assistance programs that will influence them through confidential consultation with a psychologist. Another critical step is the introduction of a flexible schedule, which can help reduce workload.
Achieving a healthy lifestyle is also a necessary goal that can be achieved through hospital-wide wellness challenges that will encourage more active self-care. Another point is medical examinations of personnel that can prevent dangerous symptoms and diseases (Søvold et al., 2021). The third essential element is educational seminars that teach workers how to manage mental health.
References
Davey, S. L., Lee, B. J., Robbins, T., Randeva, H., & Thake, C. D. (2021). Heat stress and PPE during COVID-19: Impact on healthcare workers’ performance, safety and well-being in NHS settings. Journal of Hospital Infection, 108, 185-188. Web.
De Hert, S. (2020). Burnout in healthcare workers: Prevalence, impact and preventative strategies. Local and Regional Anesthesia, 13, 171-183. Web.
Jun, J., Ojemeni, M. M., Kalamani, R., Tong, J., & Crecelius, M. L. (2021). Relationship between nurse burnout, patient and organizational outcomes: Systematic review. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 119. Web.
Singh, C., Cross, W., Munro, I., & Jackson, D. (2020). Occupational stress facing nurse academics – A mixed‐methods systematic review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 29(5-6), 720-735. Web.
Søvold, L. E., Naslund, J. A., Kousoulis, A. A., Saxena, S., Qoronfleh, M. W., Grobler, C., & Münter, L. (2021). Prioritizing the mental health and well-being of healthcare workers: an urgent global public health priority. Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 1-12. Web.