Billiau Lukas, Bolliger Larissa, Clays Els, Eeckloo Kristof, Ketels Margo
Strategic Policy Cell, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, 9000, Belgium.
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Ghent University, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, Ghent, 9000, Belgium.
BMC Nurs. 2024 Jun 6;23(1):387. doi: 10.1186/s12912-024-02032-6.
Critical care nurses (CCNs) around the globe face other health challenges compared to their peers in general hospital nursing. Moreover, the nursing workforce grapples with persistent staffing shortages. In light of these circumstances, developing a sustainable work environment is imperative to retain the current nursing workforce. Consequently, this study aimed to gain insight into the recalled experiences of CCNs in dealing with the physical and psychosocial influences of work-related demands on their health while examining the environments in which they operate. The second aim was to explore the complex social and psychological processes through which CCNs navigate these work-related demands across various CCN wards.
A qualitative study following Thorne's interpretive descriptive approach was conducted. From October 2022 to April 2023, six focus groups were organised. Data from a diverse sample of 27 Flemish CCNs engaged in physically demanding roles from three CCN wards were collected. The Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven was applied to support the constant comparison process.
Participants reported being exposed to occupational physical activity, emotional, quantitative, and cognitive work-related demands, adverse patient behaviour, and poor working time quality. Exposure to these work-related demands was perceived as harmful, potentially resulting in physical, mental, and psychosomatic strain, as well as an increased turnover intention. In response to these demands, participants employed various strategies for mitigation, including seeking social support, exerting control over their work, utilising appropriate equipment, recognising rewards, and engaging in leisure-time physical activity.
CCNs' health is challenged by work-related demands that are not entirely covered by the traditional quantitative frameworks used in research on psychologically healthy work. Therefore, future studies should focus on improving such frameworks by exploring the role of psychosocial and organisational factors in more detail. This study has important implications for workplace health promotion with a view on preventing work absenteeism and drop-out in the long run, as it offers strong arguments to promote sufficient risk management strategies, schedule flexibility, uninterrupted off-job recovery time, and positive management, which can prolong the well-being and sustainable careers of the CCN workforce.
与综合医院护理领域的同行相比，全球范围内的重症监护护士（CCN）面临着其他健康挑战。此外，护理人员一直面临人员短缺的问题。鉴于这些情况，营造一个可持续的工作环境对于留住现有护理人员至关重要。因此，本研究旨在深入了解CCN在应对与工作相关需求对其健康产生的身体和心理社会影响时的回忆经历，同时考察他们工作的环境。第二个目标是探索CCN在各个CCN病房应对这些与工作相关需求所经历的复杂社会和心理过程。
采用了遵循索恩解释性描述方法的定性研究。2022年10月至2023年4月期间，组织了六个焦点小组。收集了来自三个CCN病房、从事体力要求较高工作的27名弗拉芒CCN的多样化样本数据。应用鲁汶定性分析指南来支持持续比较过程。
参与者报告称面临职业体力活动、情感、数量和认知方面与工作相关的需求、患者的不良行为以及较差的工作时间质量。接触这些与工作相关的需求被认为是有害的，可能导致身体、心理和身心压力，以及离职意愿增加。为应对这些需求，参与者采用了各种缓解策略，包括寻求社会支持、对工作施加控制、使用适当设备、认可奖励以及进行休闲体育活动。
CCN的健康受到与工作相关需求的挑战，而这些需求在关于心理健康工作的研究中使用的传统定量框架中并未得到充分涵盖。因此，未来的研究应通过更详细地探索心理社会和组织因素的作用来专注于改进此类框架。本研究对于从长远角度预防旷工和离职的工作场所健康促进具有重要意义，因为它为促进充分的风险管理策略、排班灵活性、不间断的离岗恢复时间以及积极管理提供了有力论据，这些措施可以延长CCN员工的幸福感和可持续职业生涯。
