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Posted: January 9th, 2023
How Nurse Engagement in Treating Patients Can Affect Their Mental Health
Nurses are often the first point of contact for patients who seek medical care. They provide physical, emotional, and psychological support to patients and their families. Nurses also play a vital role in promoting health and preventing disease. However, nursing is not an easy profession. It involves long hours, high stress, and exposure to trauma and suffering. These factors can take a toll on nurses’ mental health and well-being.
According to the American Nurses Association, more than half of nurses report feeling burned out, depressed, or anxious. These mental health issues can affect nurses’ performance, quality of care, and patient safety. They can also lead to absenteeism, turnover, and reduced job satisfaction. Therefore, it is important to understand how nurse engagement in treating patients can affect their mental health and what can be done to improve it.
Nurse engagement is defined as the degree of commitment, involvement, and enthusiasm that nurses have for their work. It reflects how nurses feel about their job, their organization, and their profession. Engaged nurses are more likely to be satisfied, motivated, and loyal to their employer. They are also more likely to provide high-quality care, collaborate with other health professionals, and advocate for patients.
However, nurse engagement is not a static or fixed state. It can vary depending on the context, the situation, and the individual. Some factors that can influence nurse engagement are:
– The work environment: This includes the physical, social, and organizational aspects of the workplace, such as the availability of resources, the workload, the staffing levels, the leadership style, the communication channels, the culture, and the climate.
– The patient population: This includes the characteristics of the patients that nurses care for, such as their age, gender, ethnicity, diagnosis, prognosis, preferences, needs, and expectations.
– The personal factors: This includes the attributes of the nurses themselves, such as their personality, values, beliefs, attitudes, skills, knowledge, experience, coping strategies, and resilience.
These factors can have positive or negative effects on nurse engagement and mental health. For example:
– A supportive work environment can foster nurse engagement by providing adequate resources, recognition, feedback, autonomy, empowerment, and opportunities for learning and growth. A supportive work environment can also protect nurses’ mental health by reducing stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.
– A challenging patient population can enhance nurse engagement by stimulating interest, curiosity, and creativity. A challenging patient population can also improve nurses’ mental health by increasing self-efficacy, competence, and meaning in work.
– A positive personal factor can boost nurse engagement by aligning with the values and goals of the organization and the profession. A positive personal factor can also bolster nurses’ mental health by enhancing self-esteem,
confidence,
and satisfaction.
On the other hand,
– A hostile work environment can undermine nurse engagement by creating conflict,
frustration,
and distrust. A hostile work environment can also harm nurses’ mental health by increasing stress,
burnout,
and depression.
– A difficult patient population can diminish nurse engagement by causing boredom,
apathy,
and resentment. A difficult patient population can also impair nurses’ mental health by decreasing self-efficacy,
competence,
and meaning in work.
– A negative personal factor can hinder nurse engagement by conflicting with the values and goals of the organization and the profession. A negative personal factor can also weaken nurses’ mental health by lowering self-esteem,
confidence,
and satisfaction.
Therefore,
it is essential to identify and address the factors that affect nurse engagement and mental health in order to improve both outcomes. Some strategies that can help are:
– Providing a safe,
healthy,
and supportive work environment that meets the needs of nurses and patients.
– Encouraging a culture of respect,
trust,
and collaboration among nurses and other health professionals.
– Offering regular feedback,
recognition,
and rewards for nurses’ achievements and contributions.
– Empowering nurses to make decisions,
solve problems,
and initiate changes that improve their work processes and outcomes.
– Enhancing nurses’ skills,
knowledge,
and competencies through continuous education and training.
– Promoting nurses’ professional development and career advancement through mentoring,
coaching,
and leadership opportunities.
– Fostering nurses’ sense of belonging and identity with their organization and their profession.
– Engaging nurses in organizational decision-making and policy-making that affect their work conditions and quality of care.
– Providing flexible work schedules and options that balance work demands and personal needs.
– Implementing wellness programs and interventions that address physical,
emotional,
and psychological aspects of nurses’ well-being.
– Providing access to counseling,
support groups,
and other resources that help nurses cope with stress,
trauma,
and grief.
By implementing these strategies,
nurses can enhance their engagement in treating patients and improve their mental health. This will not only benefit themselves but also their patients,
their colleagues,
and their organizations.
References:
American Nurses Association. (2019). Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation. Retrieved from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/healthy-nurse-healthy-nation/
Laschinger, H. K., & Fida, R. (2014). A time-lagged analysis of the effect of authentic leadership on workplace bullying, burnout, and occupational turnover intentions. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 23(5), 739-753.
Manojlovich, M., & Laschinger, H. K. (2007). The nursing worklife model: Extending and refining a new theory. Journal of Nursing Management, 15(3), 256-263.
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