Psychosocial factors in nursing work and occupational risks: a systematic review

High-risk factors for delirium in severely ill patients and the application of emotional nursing combined with pain nursing

BACKGROUND

Delirium is a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by acute disturbances of consciousness with rapid onset, rapid progression, obvious fluctuations, and preventable, reversible, and other characteristics. Patients with delirium in the intensive care unit (ICU) are often missed or misdiagnosed and do not receive adequate attention.

AIM

To analyze the risk factors for delirium in ICU patients and explore the application of emotional nursing with pain nursing in the management of delirium.

METHODS

General data of 301 critically ill patients were retrospectively collected, including histories (cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, smoking, alcoholism, and diabetes), age, sex, diagnosis, whether surgery was performed, and patient origin (emergency/clinic). Additionally, the duration of sedation, Richmond Agitation Sedation Scale score, combined emotional and pain care, ventilator use duration, vasoactive drug use, drainage tube retention, ICU stay duration, C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, white blood cell count, body temperature, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score were recorded within 24 h after ICU admission. Patients were assessed for delirium according to confusion assessment method for the ICU, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for delirium in the patients.

RESULTS

Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed on the 24 potential risk factors associated with delirium in ICU patients. The results showed that 16 risk factors were closely related to delirium, including combined emotional and pain care, history of diabetes, and patient origin. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that no combined emotional and pain care, history of diabetes, emergency source, surgery, long stay in the ICU, smoking history, and high APACHE II score were independent risk factors for delirium in ICU patients.

CONCLUSION

Patients with diabetes and/or smoking history, postoperative patients, patients with a high APACHE II score, and those with emergency ICU admission need emotional and pain care, flexible visiting modes, and early intervention to reduce delirium incidence.

Occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders, burnout, and psychological suffering in Brazilian nursing workers: A cross-sectional study

Background

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) pose a pervasive concern among nursing professionals due to the high physical workload. Simultaneously, the complex relationship between MSDs and mental health outcomes in this population remains an area of significant interest and importance.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of MSDs and their relationships with burnout and psychological suffering within the nursing workforce.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 involving 291 nursing professionals in Brazil. Standardized questionnaires were employed to gather information on MSDs, mental health outcomes, and pertinent work-related factors. Robust statistical analyses were conducted to ascertain the prevalence of MSDs, establish associations between MSDs and mental health outcomes, and delineate the influence of work-related factors on these associations. Statistical analysis was performed using the R software.

Results

The study revealed a significant prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) among nursing workers, focusing on regions that include the lower back, upper back, neck, and shoulders. Individuals with MSIs in the lower back showed a marked increase in emotional exhaustion (p = 0.02), as did those with MSIs in the upper back (p <0.01) and depersonalization (p = 0.07). On the other hand, nursing professionals who reported MSIs in the neck and shoulders had considerably higher scores in emotional exhaustion (p <0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively) and depersonalization (p = 0.05 and p = 0.05, respectively). However, no significant correlations emerged between MSIs and depression or work-related factors.

Conclusions

This study highlights the urgency of implementing proactive measures to prevent and manage MSDs within the nursing profession. Moreover, it emphasizes the critical need to enhance working conditions and provide robust support mechanisms to safeguard the mental health of nursing professionals.Open AccessOpen Access.

Usage of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire: A Systematic Review of a Comprehensive Job Stress Questionnaire in Japan from 2003 to 2021

The Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) is used widely in occupational health studies and practice. Summarizing scientific production based on measurement is crucial. This study aimed to systematically review observational studies that used the BJSQ and the New BJSQ to show their usability. A systematic search was conducted for studies investigating relationships between the BJSQ or the New BJSQ subscales and other validated measurements on 13 September 2021, in various literature databases. The BJSQ subscales, scoring methods, and other validated measurements in the studies were qualitatively summarized. In total, 145 published reports between 2003 and 2021 were included. Among the BJSQ subscales, job stressors (n = 95) such as quantitative job overload (n = 65) and job control (n = 64) were most often used. The subscales were utilized to investigate the relationships with several other measurements. Five reports used subscales from the New BJSQ. In the last two decades, the BJSQ and the New BJSQ help measure psychosocial factors (PF) at work and contribute to the publication of scientific papers in the occupational health field. This study would encourage the utilization of the questionnaires for future research and practice.

Factores psicosociales y red de apoyo en trabajadores de una universidad pública

Introducción. Los factores psicosociales en el trabajo consisten en las interacciones entre, el trabajo, el medio ambiente y las condiciones de la organización, con las capacidades del trabajador, sus necesidades, su cultura y su situación personal fuera del trabajo, a través de percepciones y experiencias que pueden influir en la salud, el rendimiento y la satisfacción en el trabajo. Objetivo. Caracterizar los factores psicosociales y el apoyo social laboral percibido por el personal académico y administrativo de una universidad pública. Materiales y métodos. Estudio descriptivo transversal orientado a caracterizar la percepción de los factores psicosociales y el apoyo social laboral de los funcionarios de una universidad pública, a través de dos instrumentos aplicados a los participantes en el estudio. Resultados. El análisis mostró que existe incomodidad y descontento en cuanto a algunas condiciones laborales, así mismo, los funcionarios mostraron tener una buena red de apoyo familiar y extra-laboral. Conclusiones. Es importante que la dirección de recursos humanos y el departamento de bienestar universitario realicen un análisis pormenorizado de los resultados con fin de establecer estrategias para mejorar los aspectos que fueron señalados como críticos por los funcionarios.

Resilience and the reduction of occupational stress in Nursing

OBJECTIVE

to analyze the association between resilience and occupational stress of Nursing professionals from a general hospital.

METHOD

an observational, cross-sectional study involving 321 Nursing professionals. The data collected were: socio-demographic and labour variables, stress and resilience, analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics.

RESULTS

54.5% of the participants presented moderate resilience and 36.4%, high; 73.5% were at risk of exposure to occupational stress; the relationship between psychological demands and professional category (p=0.009), between control over work and age (p=0.04), professional category (p<0.001), having a management position (p=0.009), being a specialist (p=0.006) and between social support and professional category (p<0.001), having a management position (p=0.03), daily working hours (p=0.03), being a specialist (p<0.001) were verified. There was an association between resilience Factor I - resolutions of actions and values and control over work (p=0.04) and social support (p=0.002).

CONCLUSION

the Nursing professionals of a general hospital have moderate to high resilience which, associated with high control over their work and high social support, may contribute to the reduction of exposure to occupational stress.

Rationing Care, Job Satisfaction, Fatigue and the Level of Professional Burnout of Nurses in Urology Departments

The problem of rationing nursing care is common and present all over the world, which is a direct threat to the health and life of patients. The aim of the study was to assess the level of rationing care, fatigue, job satisfaction and occupational burnout and to assess the relationship between them and age, length of service and the number of jobs. A survey was performed among 130 Polish nurses in urology departments using the following questionnaires: Link Burnout Questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Scale, Nursing Care Rationing Scale and Modified Fatigue Impact Scale. Nursing care is rarely rationed-1.11 points; the experience of fatigue ranges between sometimes and often-52.58 points; and job satisfaction is at an average level-17.23 points. The level of rationing nursing care in urology departments is similar to that in other departments. This requires minor changes to the work of nurses to reduce the workload. Employers should develop implementation programs for young workers in order to avoid burnout and also invest in factors increasing nurses' satisfaction, such as the atmosphere at work.

Job demands, job resources, and health outcomes among nursing professionals in private and public healthcare sectors in Sweden - a prospective study

BACKGROUND

Nursing professionals exhibit high prevalence of stress-related health problems. Job demands and job resources are parallel drivers of health and well-being among employees. Better job resources associate with better job satisfaction, job motivation and engagement even when job demands are high. To date, there is limited research which explores the association between job demands, job resources and health outcomes among nursing professionals in the Swedish context. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate Swedish nursing professionals' job demands and job resources in relation to health outcomes, with comparisons between the private and public healthcare sectors. The specific research questions were as follows: (1) Are there differences between private and public healthcare regarding job demands, job resources, and health outcomes? and (2) Are there prospective associations between job demands and job resources in relation to health outcomes?

METHODS

Data were drawn from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) 2016 and 2018, including 520 nurses and 544 assistant nurses working in the private and public healthcare sectors from 2016 (baseline). Data were analyzed using binary logistic regression.

RESULTS

Nursing professionals reported higher threats, lower bullying, lower control, lower social support, and lower cohesion in the public healthcare units compared to the private healthcare units. The prospective analyses showed that job resources in terms of social support and rewards were associated with higher self-rated health and lower burnout. Cohesion was associated with higher self-rated health. Job demands in terms of psychological demands and job efforts were associated with lower self-rated health, higher burnout, and higher sickness absence, while emotional demands were associated with higher burnout.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing professionals' job resources are deficient in public healthcare units. Job resources are associated with positive health outcomes, whereas job demands are associated with negative health outcomes, among nursing professionals. Strengthening job resources among nursing professionals in the private and public healthcare sectors can promote and sustain their work-related health.