Nurses play an integral role in the healthcare industry, promoting public health, and filling leadership positions at health care facilities. However, this profession has a lot of challenges. The profession is demanding and requires a lot of dedication and commitment. I was able to see this after visiting a nursing facility this week. This paper will delve at discussing two difficulties I encountered at the clinical site I attended this week.
One of the challenges I encountered is long working hours. At the nursing site I attended this week, the nurses were often required to work long shifts, risking fatigue that could result in medical errors. Due to short staffing at the health care facility, the nurses were required to work back-to-back or extended shifts. This had a significant impact on patient safety as well as the overall health of the nurse. Most of the nurses at the facility reported that they were dissatisfied with the job. A study done by Stimpfel, Sloane, and Aiken (2012) found that “the longer the shifts for hospital nurses, the higher the levels of burnout and patient dissatisfaction.”
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Another difficulty I encountered at the nursing facility I visited this week is workplace hazards. While at the site, I was exposed to many workplace hazards while working as a nurse. Some of the workplace hazards I faced include exposure to bloodborne pathogens, injuries, hand washing-related dermatitis, and cold and flu germs. There were numerous cases relating to workplace hazards that were previously reported at the site. It was quite challenging to work in such an environment. For personal and religious reasons, I did not take the vaccinations that the nursing facility provided to protect nurses from workplace hazards such as cold and flu. However, the nursing facility provided me with an antiviral facemask, which helped me protect myself from being exposed to some of these hazards.
References
Stimplfel, A., Sloane, D., & Aiken, L. (2012). The longer the shifts for hospital nurses, the higher the levels of burnout and patient dissatisfaction. [Online]. Retrieved from: https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2011.1377 . Accessed 30 th July 2019.
