Looking into eyes : the experience of medical and nursing staff working without an official counselling service : a qualitative study in the health sector

Abstract

Occupational stress affects both organisations and employees, leading to burnout, employee turnover, absenteeism, lack of motivation and a reduction in performance. Workers in the health setting have been found to suffer particularly from occupational stress, with a significant effect on their performance, well-being and job satisfaction. The Accident and Emergency department (A&E) and the Intensive Care Unit (ITU) are two of the most stressful departments within this setting. On a daily basis they deal with very stressful situations such as death of patients, understaffing, long work hours, difficult decision making under pressure and others. This study aims at drawing the attention to the life stories of doctors and nurses, and the stress they encounter, how they cope, its effect on their professional and personal life, and their need for support. The purpose of the study is to unearth feelings, experiences and needs of doctors and nurses who work at the A&E and ITU departments within the local hospital. The researcher has chosen to use unstructured qualitative interviewing for this study. Findings have shown that the main occupational stressors have resulted to be the workload, long hours and shift work. The nursing and medical professions need more than just academic and work experience, the need for psychological preparation and support has been shown by the emotional reactions to certain cases which influenced the interviewees throughout their careers. The professional’s emotionall wellbeing is also affectd by the absence of closure from one case to another and the lack of time to get in touch with one’s emotions which are triggered by the cases they encounter. Stress has also been a factor brought about by lack of recognition from patients, relatives and hospital management. The impact of occupational stress on the interviewee’s families was highlighted, and through their experiences it was concluded that occupational stress has a holistic impact on one’s life. The family and team support have been found to be the best coping resources for both nurses and doctors working in both departments. The interviewees are all highly influenced by stress on a daily basis, and it was clear that there is a great need of improved coping mechanisms. This study provides evidence of the need and desire for counselling support by both doctors and nurses within the two departments. Through this project the researcher hopes to encourage further research within the field, with the aim of bringing forth change in priorities, mentality and behaviour, where support services such as counselling will be accepted, provided and sought after.