Aging and Mental Health, 12(2), March 2008, pp.236-243.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
The aim of this study was to explore nurses' experience of strain in dementia care. Focus groups were held with 35 nurses in Sweden, Australia and UK, who care for people with dementia. The discussions were tape-recorded and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The nurses described the complexity of their situation and referred to environmental factors such as 'the system', community attitudes, other staff, residents' family members and also their own family. With regard to caring for people with dementia, three main sources of strain could be identified: Being unable to reach; Trying to protect; and Having to balance competing needs. The nurses' experience could be understood as a desire to do the best for the people in their care by trying to alleviate their suffering and enhance their quality of life. When they did not have the resources, opportunity or ability to do this, it caused strain.
The aim of this study was to explore nurses' experience of strain in dementia care. Focus groups were held with 35 nurses in Sweden, Australia and UK, who care for people with dementia. The discussions were tape-recorded and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The nurses described the complexity of their situation and referred to environmental factors such as 'the system', community attitudes, other staff, residents' family members and also their own family. With regard to caring for people with dementia, three main sources of strain could be identified: Being unable to reach; Trying to protect; and Having to balance competing needs. The nurses' experience could be understood as a desire to do the best for the people in their care by trying to alleviate their suffering and enhance their quality of life. When they did not have the resources, opportunity or ability to do this, it caused strain.
This study aimed to capture the experience and meaning of stress for nurses working in acute mental health wards. Eight individuals at acute mental health units in a London mental health trust took part in semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that participants experience a lack of resources, a poor home/work balance and difficulties in professional recognition. It is concluded...
This study aimed to capture the experience and meaning of stress for nurses working in acute mental health wards. Eight individuals at acute mental health units in a London mental health trust took part in semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that participants experience a lack of resources, a poor home/work balance and difficulties in professional recognition. It is concluded that stress in acute mental health nursing is an area that requires immediate attention.
British Journal of Forensic Practice, 9(2), July 2007, pp.32-48.
Publisher:
Emerald
All the nursing staff (n=115) and occupational therapists (n=9) on three wards in a medium secure hospital were asked to take part in the study, and to complete a modified version of the Psychiatric Nurse Occupational Stress Scale (PNOSS), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and a demographic questionnaire designed for the study. Results from the PNOSS revealed that organisational issues elicited...
All the nursing staff (n=115) and occupational therapists (n=9) on three wards in a medium secure hospital were asked to take part in the study, and to complete a modified version of the Psychiatric Nurse Occupational Stress Scale (PNOSS), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and a demographic questionnaire designed for the study. Results from the PNOSS revealed that organisational issues elicited the greatest stress and were most strongly related to high burn-out scores, identified by the MBI. Limited resource and staff conflict were also associated with stress and burn-out. Patient care had a relatively small impact. MBI findings were that a substantial proportion (54%) were experiencing high burn-out in relation to emotional exhaustion.
Subject terms:
medium secure units, nurses, occupational therapists, stress;
British Journal of Health Psychology, 12(1), February 2007, pp.125-144.
Publisher:
Wiley
The aim was to determine which variables from a pool of potential predictors predict General Health Questionnaire `caseness' in pre-registration nursing students. Cross-sectional survey, utilizing self-report measures of sources of stress, stress (psychological distress) and coping, together with pertinent demographic measures such as sex, ethnicity, educational programme and nursing specialty...
The aim was to determine which variables from a pool of potential predictors predict General Health Questionnaire `caseness' in pre-registration nursing students. Cross-sectional survey, utilizing self-report measures of sources of stress, stress (psychological distress) and coping, together with pertinent demographic measures such as sex, ethnicity, educational programme and nursing specialty being pursued, and age, social class and highest qualifications on entry to the programme. Questionnaire packs were distributed to all pre-registration nursing students (N=1,362) in a large English university. Completed packs were coded, entered into statistical software and subjected to a series of logistic regression analyses. Of the questionnaire packs 1,005 (74%) were returned, of which up to 973 were available for the regression analyses undertaken. Four logistic regression models were considered and, on the principle of parsimony, a single model was chosen for discussion. This model suggested that the key predictors of caseness in the population studied were self-report of pressure, whether or not respondents had children (specifically, whether these children were pre-school or school-age), scores on a `personal problems' scale and the type of coping employed. The overall caseness rate among the population was around one-third. Since self-report and personal, rather than academic, concerns predict stress, personal teachers need to play a key role in supporting students through `active listening', especially when students self-report high levels of stress and where personal/social problems are evident. The work-life balance of students, especially those with child-care responsibilities, should be a central tenet in curriculum design in nurse education (and, indeed, the education of other professional and occupational groups). There may be some benefit in offering stress management (coping skills) training to nursing students and, indeed, students of other disciplines.
Social Work Maatskaplike Werk, 41(4), October 2005, pp.388-408.
This study was informed by social constructionist theory; as such it was based on the use of ethnographic methods. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight maternity ward nurses in a state hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. The goal of the study was to encourage nurses to articulate in their own words the psychological experience of being a maternity ward nurse.
This study was informed by social constructionist theory; as such it was based on the use of ethnographic methods. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with eight maternity ward nurses in a state hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa. The goal of the study was to encourage nurses to articulate in their own words the psychological experience of being a maternity ward nurse.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 36(11-12), 2021, pp.5709-5729.
Publisher:
Sage
The present study focuses on elderly abuse committed by nurses and nurses’ aides in nursing homes. Elderly abuse includes neglect and abusive behaviors deleterious to the health and welfare of the elderly. The study aimed at a better understanding of neglect and abusive behaviors by considering caregiver burnout and the work context of these professionals. To achieve this goal, direct effects of job demands (workload and emotional demands) and organizational resources (quality of relationships with colleagues and with the supervisor) on elderly abuse were analyzed. Moreover, the mediating role of caregiver burnout was explored by suggesting that job demands and lack of organizational resources were related to neglect and abusive behaviors through burnout. The study was conducted among 481 nurses and health care assistants from different French nursing homes. Correlations, multiple regressions, and mediation analyses were performed. Results globally confirmed our hypotheses. Emotional demands and poor quality relationships with colleagues and the team supervisor were the most predictive variables for caregiver burnout, neglect, and abusive behaviors toward the elderly. Moreover, the results contributed to the literature by highlighting the mediating effect of burnout and give rise to potential implications in preventing elderly abuse in nursing homes.
(Edited publisher abstract)
The present study focuses on elderly abuse committed by nurses and nurses’ aides in nursing homes. Elderly abuse includes neglect and abusive behaviors deleterious to the health and welfare of the elderly. The study aimed at a better understanding of neglect and abusive behaviors by considering caregiver burnout and the work context of these professionals. To achieve this goal, direct effects of job demands (workload and emotional demands) and organizational resources (quality of relationships with colleagues and with the supervisor) on elderly abuse were analyzed. Moreover, the mediating role of caregiver burnout was explored by suggesting that job demands and lack of organizational resources were related to neglect and abusive behaviors through burnout. The study was conducted among 481 nurses and health care assistants from different French nursing homes. Correlations, multiple regressions, and mediation analyses were performed. Results globally confirmed our hypotheses. Emotional demands and poor quality relationships with colleagues and the team supervisor were the most predictive variables for caregiver burnout, neglect, and abusive behaviors toward the elderly. Moreover, the results contributed to the literature by highlighting the mediating effect of burnout and give rise to potential implications in preventing elderly abuse in nursing homes.
(Edited publisher abstract)
British Journal of Health Psychology, 17(3), September 2012, pp.505-521.
Publisher:
Wiley
...to the explanation of variance in anxiety and depression outcomes. The results from the study demonstrated the importance of coping factors in work related stress research. Implications for future research are discussed.
This study examined the relationships between job characteristics and coping in predicting levels of anxiety and depression in nurses. It was predicted that job demands, over-commitment, and negative coping behaviours would be positively associated with depression and anxiety, and social support, rewards, decision authority, skill discretion control, and positive coping would be negatively associated with depression and anxiety. Participants included 870 nurses, who responded to a bulk mail sent randomly in the south of England. Findings indicated that job demands and over-commitment were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Social support, rewards, and skill discretion were negatively associated with mental health problems. Coping behaviours significantly added to the explanation of variance in anxiety and depression outcomes. The results from the study demonstrated the importance of coping factors in work related stress research. Implications for future research are discussed.
Ethics and Social Welfare, 3(2), July 2009, pp.195-214.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Abingdon
The term compassion fatigue has come to be applied to a disengagement or lack of empathy on the part of care-giving professionals. Empathy and emotional investment have been seen as potentially costing the caregiver and putting them at risk. Compassion fatigue has been equated with burnout, secondary traumatic stress disorder, vicarious traumatisation, secondary victimisation or co-victimisation...
The term compassion fatigue has come to be applied to a disengagement or lack of empathy on the part of care-giving professionals. Empathy and emotional investment have been seen as potentially costing the caregiver and putting them at risk. Compassion fatigue has been equated with burnout, secondary traumatic stress disorder, vicarious traumatisation, secondary victimisation or co-victimisation, compassion stress, emotional contagion, and counter-transference. The results of a Canadian qualitative research project on nurses' experience of compassion fatigue are presented. Nurses, self-identified as having compassion fatigue, described a change in their practice by which they began to shield and distance themselves from the suffering of patients and families. Time to help patients and families cope with suffering seemed unavailable, and many felt they were running on empty and, ultimately, impotent as nurses. Feelings of irritability, anger, and negativity arose, though participants described denying or ignoring these emotions as a way to try to survive their work day. Difficulties with work carried over into the nurses' personal lives, affecting their relationships with family and friends. Such experiences invariably called into question the participants' identity, causing them to reflect on the kind of nurse they were. The participants' compassion fatigue created a sense of hopelessness regarding positive change, although some nurses described strategies that seemed to help alleviate their compassion fatigue.