The Effect of Stress on the Performance and Health in the Hospital

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INTRODUCTION

Occupational stress is a recognized problem in health care workers. Nurse and doctors has been identified as an occupation that has high levels of stress. In an investigation conducted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in the USA, nurses and doctors were found to be one of the occupations that had a higher than expected incidence of stress related health disorders. It was found that job stress brought about hazardous impacts not only on their health but also their abilities to cope with job demands. This will seriously impair the provision of quality care and the effiency of health services delivery. In a study of job stress among hospital, it was found that 27% of the subjects experienced psycho physiological symptoms of stress, and 38% reported consulting a doctor in the past 6 months. It has also been found that different experience job stress different (Josef, 2003). In recent years there has been broad discussion on the nature of stressors experienced by members of “high risk” occupations and professions, for instance nursing and emergency workers, whose role is to support others through traumatic scenarios. Recognition is growing that health care professionals, especially emergency department staff, are at risk for experiencing critical incidents. Emergency Department are in a position that is expected to deal with additional stressors. These include unexpected numbers of patients at any time, unexpected rapid changes in patients’ situations, and response to distressing or traumatic incidents such as sudden death, patient violence, inappropriate attendees, and physical or verbal abuse on a daily basis. Emergency department is a highly stressful profession.
Most people can cope with stress for short periods but Chronic stress produces prolonged changes in the physiological state. Effectiveness of coping behaviors
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