The Impact of Working Environment Factors on Health of Nurses

Abstract

Research background. Work environment of health care professionals is a very important factor having an impact on their health and quality of life. Health care professionals’ experiences psychosocial risk factors such as stress, long working hours, high requirements, patient violence and deaths, working in shifts, etc. Work-rest regime disbalance cause stress in employees, burnout, and deterioration of health. Not all nurses are able to deal with permanent pressure and stress at work therefore the possibility of unwanted health problems arise.

The aim. To analyze the impact of work environment factors on health of nurses.

Methods. 121 nurses were surveyed in hospitals. The prepared research instruments were used: working experience measurement scale (WEMS) and salutogenic health indicator scale (SHIS).

Results. Health of nurses were evaluated by “Salutogenic health indicator scale”. The total health indicator average in a general research participant group was 60.96 points, interpersonal health indicators in groups equaled 59.81 points, and interactive – 62.58 points. Communication with other people (4.38 points), determination (4.27 points), maintaining emotional balance (4,20 points) were best rated; the worst results were for sleep (3.74 points), relaxation (3.82 points) and energy (3.85 points). The working experience scale showed best results of accessibility towards manager, manager’s ability to make decisions in need; the worst results were of a manager consultation with a working group before making important decisions.

Conclusion. It is stated that work experience showed a connection with better evaluation of health and wellbeing. The total health indicator was significantly worse for the participants with a longer work experience thus they evaluated interpersonal and interactive health indicators worse in comparison to other participants. Younger nurses evaluated changes in an organization more positively, however management area was evaluated more positively by nurses with longer work experience.

Keywords: nurses, health indicators, work factors