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RESEARCH PAPER
Working environment of health care professionals – focus on occupational stress
1
Faculty of Health Sciences, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda, Lithuania
2
University Hospital, Klaipeda, Lithuania
3
Faculty of Marine Technology and Natural Sciences, Klaipeda University, Klaipeda, Lithuania
4
Department of Public Health, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland
Corresponding author
Ann Agric Environ Med. 2023;30(4):721-728
KEYWORDS
occupational stresshealthcare workersworking environmentstress managementhealthcare professionalsstress prevention
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objective:
Healthcare professionals most often encounter occupational stress. The aim of the study was to investigate the working environment of health care professionals with the focus on expression of occupational stress, and oversee the possibilities of stress management and prevention.
Material and methods:
326 representatives from five different healthcare institutions were surveyed in Siauliai city, Lithuania. The validated questionnaires HSE Management Standards Indicator Tool and the SF-36 questionnaire were used.
Results:
The study revealed that the most important organizational factors were lack of communication, inappropriate relations with authorities and colleagues, big workload and long working hours, quick decision-making, and manifestations of mobbing. Financial support was reported as one of the main motivators in stress management. The most frequent individual factors were emotional relations with patients and their relatives. The healthcare professionals who experienced stress at work more often felt aches that disturbed their work routine, and their health interfered more their ordinary social activities. The main stress prevention measures are involvement of employees in decision-making, annual interviews with authorities, education, assurance of a safe work environment, and elimination of manifestations of mobbing.
Conclusions:
More attention must be paid to occupational stress management. It appeared that there is a lack of knowledge by institutions about the models of occupational stress management and internal stress management policy of organization. Therefore, this stimulates the search for measures that could help to change the situation.
Healthcare professionals most often encounter occupational stress. The aim of the study was to investigate the working environment of health care professionals with the focus on expression of occupational stress, and oversee the possibilities of stress management and prevention.
Material and methods:
326 representatives from five different healthcare institutions were surveyed in Siauliai city, Lithuania. The validated questionnaires HSE Management Standards Indicator Tool and the SF-36 questionnaire were used.
Results:
The study revealed that the most important organizational factors were lack of communication, inappropriate relations with authorities and colleagues, big workload and long working hours, quick decision-making, and manifestations of mobbing. Financial support was reported as one of the main motivators in stress management. The most frequent individual factors were emotional relations with patients and their relatives. The healthcare professionals who experienced stress at work more often felt aches that disturbed their work routine, and their health interfered more their ordinary social activities. The main stress prevention measures are involvement of employees in decision-making, annual interviews with authorities, education, assurance of a safe work environment, and elimination of manifestations of mobbing.
Conclusions:
More attention must be paid to occupational stress management. It appeared that there is a lack of knowledge by institutions about the models of occupational stress management and internal stress management policy of organization. Therefore, this stimulates the search for measures that could help to change the situation.
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