Mental health refers to the emotional, psychological, cognitive and social well-being of an individual. It’s about people’s behavior, thoughts and feelings. The nursing profession focuses on providing healthcare which leads to improved quality of life. Mental health plays a tremendous role in nursing as it focuses on the psychological ability of nurses to balance between managing patients, taking long shifts and their personal lives. Since nursing stands out as a demanding profession, it calls for mental-health wellness.
Burn-out syndrome is the decrease of work-performance and pleasure which comes about due to work related stresses aggravated by poor work conditions. In the health industry, nurses are required to exercise patient care in stressful situations and excessive workloads while maintaining empathy which causes physical and emotional exhaustion (Oliveira et.al,2019). The syndrome reduces efficiency of nurses to perform and provide quality healthcare.
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Due to the nature of their occupation, nurses are exposed to overwhelming situations such as death, which create a sense of dissatisfaction and affect productivity. There are strategies that can be put in place to help relieve work related stress such as meditation. Another effective method that was put in place is the use of audio-recordings which calm the brain hence reducing burnout (Oliveira et.al, 2019). Activities such as therapeutic massages, touch of healing and reiki can be practiced as they have been reported to help cope with the syndrome. Weekly exercises have been helpful as they relieve physical tension which builds up as a result of work-related pressures. In addition to this, proper diets and adequate sleep contribute to the wellness of the body. Recognition and appreciation by team members and hospital staff has also indicated reduced burnout syndrome cases among nurses.
The rise of cancer patients, patients suffering from dementia and the elderly patients is a main challenge due to the sparseness of skilled personnel in the nursing care industry. A study conducted in Germany shows that nurses who offer palliative care were highly affected by burnout due to the immense workload they have to endure (Diehl et.al 2012). The study went further to indicate that workplace commitment was a moderator between burnout and work stress as it gives nurses a sense of belonging, stability and security. However, a different study conducted in Estonia showed no co-relation between work commitment and burnout syndrome. This contradicting information calls for further investigations to establish a common ground (Diehl et.al 2012).
Psychological burdens lead to emotional exhaustion which comes about as a result of burnout and excessive workload. When nurses are overwhelmed, they are likely to take sick leaves often in order to ease the work load and stress from the hospitals. Absenteeism in turn affects the normal functioning of hospitals and poses a burden to the remaining stuff as they have to work extra hours and take on additional workload to replace their absent colleagues. This can be seen as a short-term positive phenomenon but in the long run quality care will deteriorate in the hospitals due to some nurses being overburdened (Kowalczuk et al 2020). It is therefore important to come up with strategies that ensure nurses are not overworked in order to prevent absenteeism from the work place.
Nurses working in a hemodialysis centers are at a higher risk of suffering from burnouts due to the need of handling emergency cases from patients. Exposure to life and death situations takes a toll on the emotional and physical wellbeing of nurses. A study conducted in Sichuan Province; China revealed that nurses working in hemodialysis centers were experiencing the burnout syndrome more than any other healthcare workers (Ling et al 2020). It is crucial for healthcare administrators to practice existing interventions and employ new techniques that will help nurses in coping with the burnout syndrome.
References
Diehl, E., Rieger, S., Letzel, S., Schablon, A., Nienhaus, A., & Escobar, P. L. (2021). The relationship between workload and burnout among nurses: The buffering role of personal, social and organizational resources. PLoS ONE, 16(1), 24-31. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245798.
Kowalczuk, K., Krajewska-Kułak, E., & Sobolewski, M. (2020). Working excessively and burnout among nurses in the context of sick leaves. Frontiers in Psychology, 11(4), 285-301. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00285
Ling, K., Xianxiu, ., & Xiaowei, Z. (2020). Analysis of nurses' job burnout and coping strategies in hemodialysis centers. Medicine, 99(17), 19-37.doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000019951
Oliveira, S. M., Alcantara Sousa, L. V., Vieira Gadelha, M., & Nascimento, V. B. (2019). Prevention actions of burnout syndrome in nurses: An integrating literature review. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 15(30, 64–73. https://doi.org/10.2174/1745017901915010064
