Workplace stress can make it difficult for employees to do their job without feeling they’re about to collapse. The healthcare sector is no different. There is a lot that goes into caring for patients and ensuring they’re safe at all times. Nurses can get the most bitter end of the deal.
These professionals work around the clock, trying to take care of patients. They are also working to make sure they’re on top of their life outside of work. In such cases, burnout is inevitable.
When nurses experience a burnout, it can take a toll on hospitals to find replacements and divide work on other nurses while they recoup. If nurse leaders intervene, they can make a difference for these nurses and help them get better. Here’s how leadership can change the picture of the nursing sector:
Figure Out How Much Nurses Do in a Day
It is one thing knowing how much nurses work in a day and another thing seeing the data in front of you. You need to know how many hours are going into the care nurses are providing.
If they’re doing more than they should, you need to fix their time. It would help if you discussed with the administration what the benchmark for nurses should look like. No nurse should do extra at the expense of their health if there are no emergencies.
Encourage Further Studies
Encouraging nurses to take up more courses helps them get better at their job as they are able to understand patients and develop the necessary skills to work with them. When nurses have more knowledge and have more skills, they’re faster at working with patients and even more efficient as they treat patients.
This can help nurses feel less stressed about work. They can complete their tasks right away. When they’re capable, they are efficient, which removes a big chunk of stress from them.
Therefore, nurse leaders can encourage nurses to acquire more knowledge and skills by joining any advanced degree program.
Individuals willing to take their careers to the next level can opt for online BSN to DNP programs to play a leadership role in their organization. Fortunately, online education allows them to continue their studies along with their regular duties.
Talk to Nurses
It is one thing to look at nurses objectively but another thing asking nurses what they need. Nurses know what the healthcare system lacks. These can include resources and even proper channels for nurses to explain what they need.
Nurses can better inform you what makes them the most stressed. If you can control the factors that stress them, you should work on them right away. If these factors are too complicated to intervene, you should take it with the administration and even the hospital director to see what can be done.
Keep a Rest Place
Nurses are known to be on their feet all day. They may not get enough rest, and this can stress them out. As a nurse leader, you can designate a resting spot for these nurses. You can appoint two nurses to work together so that one rests and the other works and they take turns.
These can help nurses to look after their health and take care of patients without shirking their responsibilities. It can also help nurses build trust and a sense of teamwork with each other. So not only are you assisting the nurses in taking care of their stress, but you’re boosting their morale in different ways.
Encourage Nurses to Get Technology Literate
Automation can ease off much burden from nurses. However, not all nurses know how to use the latest technology or understand database systems. In such cases, you can help these nurses get better with technology.
You can arrange workshops for them and even help them take up coursework to comprehend technology. Manual data entry is exhausting and also not easy to keep track of. There is also a massive margin of error that can endanger patients.
As electronic health charts are becoming a norm, it would help to educate the nurses. It would help them feel less stressed and inferior at work. It will also make it easier for them to do their job without feeling they’re not doing enough or getting exhausted while they’re working.
Get More Staff
Look into hiring more staff. It helps the healthcare system when enough people are working. You can find numerous nursing professionals willing to work with you. There are multiple databases available that can help you filter what kind of professionals you need in your hospital.
It would help if you didn’t have to wait till an emergency strikes to get more staff. You should also not wait till your team collapses to get more staff members. The minute you notice that the staff to patient ratio is unbalanced, hire more staff. It will remove the stress off you and the nurses around you. It will also make it easier to work when more nurses get dedicated to patients.
Keep Counselling Sessions
At times, stress doesn’t leave you without proper counseling. Nurses are no exception. A nurse can witness many traumatizing cases and even work on complex cases that can take a toll on them. If these issues are not addressed, stress can turn into depression or any other mental health condition.
If you keep counseling sessions for nurses and indulge in these sessions, nurses can benefit greatly. They will get a chance to lay their health issues on the table and get solutions for what they feel. Stressed nurses cannot navigate through work. Even you, as a nurse leader, should look into counseling sessions. No one is immune to workplace hardships and shouldn’t try to pretend they are.
Final Words
Workplace stress can be emotionally and physically taxing, fortunately, there are ways to deal with it. These methods are easy to follow and only require implementation. As a nurse manager, you should pay attention to workplace stress and help nurses take care of their health.
Remedial measures include identifying sources of stress and seeking counseling for them. As a nurse manager, you should also talk to your staff and figure out what’s making it hard for nurses to work. Anything that you can control and fix should be done right away.