Topic > Factors Influencing the Mental Health of a Nurse

Mental health as described by the World Health Organization is a state of healthy mind in which a person knows his or her capabilities, ability to handle daily stress and is able able to work effectively and relate to others and be involved in the community. Additionally, a good support system such as friends, family, community, and the healthcare system can promote mental well-being. While mental health promotion advocates the importance of psychological well-being which will enable an individual to develop their own coping mechanism rather than improvement of symptoms of mental illness. It is the duty of healthcare professionals to provide and sustain an optimal level of holistic well-being of the patient. This is why nurses need to maintain physical, spiritual, social, emotional and psychological fitness to achieve quality nursing care to patients. One of the many strengths of being a nurse, Kester and Wei (2018) describe that resilience is essential to develop as it is a skill in which a nurse is able to respond efficiently and stay focused in an environment hostile and a primary key to long-term results. nursing service is a positive mental attitude. In society, a wide variety of psychosocial and environmental aspects such as housing, education, salary, employment, use of public services, community help and individual skills in which all these determinants can transform into risk and protective factors that will influence the psychological health of subjects. a person and a community (Margaret, 2007). The nursing profession can be mentally demanding, so it is essential that workplace safety guidelines are regulated in hospitals and other organisations. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Some people think that working in a hospital is rewarding but stressful at the same time. Nurses are considered the backbone of hospitals; they see acute to complex cases on a daily basis. Like most workers, nurses have a three-shift rotating schedule each week and there are nurses who work full time and casual employees. Eldevik et al. (2013) found that nurses working with less than 11 hours between shifts may suffer from shift work disorder (SWD) related to quick returns, meaning that working hours are scheduled during typical hours of sleep. Evidence has shown that men have a higher number of incidents than women and SWD increased significantly among nurses who had 30 rapid returns and no rapid return requirements. Eldevik et al. (2013) also stated that SWD will develop when an individual is unable to coordinate the biological clock during work shifts. While Uribe and Schub (2018) describe people suffering from SWD who may show an abnormal circadian rhythm due to a disrupted sleep pattern which can lead to lethargy or insomnia, thus limiting the performance of one's daily activities in the hospital. As a result, a reduced number of hours of sleep will stimulate the central nervous system's "fight or flight response" and may contribute to risk factors for stress-related diseases. Therefore, shift workers, including nurses, may be more likely to experience cardiovascular and gastroenterological diseases, depression and infertility, cancer, and impaired reproductive function in women. Furthermore, Uribe and Schub (2018) found that employees can alsosuffer from chronic fatigue, inattention, inability to speak clearly, less productivity, job dissatisfaction, greater risks of errors and professional burnout. Therefore, rapid returns among nurses can be avoided to optimize the quality of patient care around the clock. However, rotating shift work is inevitable in the healthcare industry. Costa (2010) suggests that both managers and employees should be aware of the likelihood of acquiring adverse health effects when practicing shift work. There are several policies both here in Australia and overseas that focus on minimizing if not eliminating stress related to SWD in line with the Ottawa Charter framework for health promotion, one of its objectives is to build healthy public policy in the workplace. There is also a similar policy implemented in the United States by the Washington State Nurses Association, as mentioned by Ritcher et al. (2010) to combat fatigue and manage strategies for nurses changing schedules, firstly, educate hospital management and employees about its negative impacts and recognition by the organization of the potential health hazard of fatigue and ensure safety in the workplace. Secondly, form instruction and training on methods to relieve fatigue such as rest periods, and finally, establish policies relating to shift work disorders (Ritcher et al, 2010). While the Australian Nurses and Midwives Federation has specified that it is advisable for nurses, midwives and nursing assistants to undertake recreational activities, holidays, sport, rest and relaxation as shift work has a major impact on mental health, physical and psychosocial wellbeing . Furthermore, according to the ANMF company agreement (2016), “when overtime is worked, employees should have at least 10 consecutive hours of rest between the end of overtime and the next shift”. By doing so, nurses in Australia will benefit from policies implemented by the government sector in promoting work-life balance, getting enough hours of sleep between shifts and will improve an individual's quality of life. Another risk factor that may contribute to a negative impact on a nurse's mental health is the prevalence of bullying in an organization which threatens professional relationships between leaders and staff members causing a lack of trust and reduced enthusiasm towards work, therefore the quality of care will significantly deteriorate. The World Health Organization explains that a healthy workplace is a cooperation between staff members and leaders to demonstrate a development process aimed at safeguarding and preserving the well-being of the entire workforce and the maintainability of the organization. Unfortunately, bullying is common in today's increasingly complex and stressful hospital environment, as highlighted by the journal Australian Nursing and Midwifery (2018) which found that almost 50% of nurses working in hospitals have experienced bullying and some they are affected numerous times a week. Koh (2016) cited some examples of direct and indirect, subjective and objective responses, including body language, raising one's voice in response to colleagues, offensive comments, reacting to a situation in which it demoralizes the character of a colleague and failure to help others, sabotage by withholding relevant information, accusations, spreading rumors, breach of confidentiality to nursing supervisors. An immediate action of an individual directly affected by bullying is to avoid provoking the aggressor by modifying their behavior and continually feeling stressed. The.