Facilitators for and barriers to nurses’ work-related health-a qualitative study

Abstract

Background Work-related health problems, such as work stress, fatigue, and burnout constitute a global challenge within the nursing profession. Work-related health among nurses is not yet a prioritized phenomenon in Nepal. Health-promoting approaches to maintaining and sustaining nurses’ health are therefore essential. The aim of this study was to explore and thereby gain a deeper understanding of how nurses in Nepal’s hospitals experience their everyday work, with a focus on promoting and sustaining their work-related health. Methods A qualitative design with semi-structured individual interviews were used. Nineteen registered nurses working at hospitals in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, were individually interviewed between October 6 and December 5, 2018. Transcribed interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis. Results Four main themes with belonging eight subthemes were constructed from the analysis: (1) “Sense of meaningfulness and belongingness in work culture” with subthemes; “Open environment” and “Sharing attitude and cooperating for the entire team” (2) “Support and rewards from the management team” with subthemes; “Lacking managerial support” and “Fair evaluation and job promotion opportunities”(3) “Workload and protection against work-related hazards” with subthemes; “Stressful and multitasking in workload” and “Lacking equipment for own health and caring”, and (4) “Motivation through opportunities and activities” with subthemes; “Employment benefits that motivate work”, and “Activities outside of work needed to recover”. These main themes and subthemes described nurses’ facilitators for and barriers to their work environment and health. Conclusion Our study highlighted nurses’ experiences with facilitators and barriers to their work-related health. Nurses’ work-related health was positively affected by support from colleagues, managers, and the organization. Conversely, less support from managers, lack of equipment, and unfair judgment were barriers to nurses’ work-related health. This study adds new knowledge about nurses’ work-related health from the context of Nepal. Hospital organizations and nursing managers in similar cultural and healthcare settings can apply the results of our study to develop strategies to promote and sustain nurses’ health and prevent work-related illness.

Patients’ expectations of and experiences with psychosocial care needs in perioperative nursing: a descriptive study

“…Employees are supposed to “do more for less.” Pressure on surgical care increases with the increasing number of operations performed per year, shorter hospital stays, and decreasing number of hospital beds [ 14 – 16 ]. Despite this, this study showed that patients experienced and perceived good psychosocial care.…”

“…The focus on efficacy and productivity in hospitals increases pressure on nurses' care [14][15][16]. Studies have shown that nurses in hospital wards are mainly focused on physical care and do not take the time to care for patients' psychosocial and relational needs [17].…”

Barriers to effective clinical supervision from the perspective of nurses: A descriptive qualitative study

“…Thapa et al. found that nurses' lack of motivation was one of the barriers to performing professional roles (Thapa et al., 2022).…”

Exploring the Optimization Path of Incentive Policies for Family Doctors in Fuzhou City

“…There is a positive correlation between career development opportunities and job satisfaction of healthcare workers. Lack of career development opportunities will lead to a decrease in job satisfaction and burnout [6,7]. To provide more career development opportunities for family doctors, the document points out the need to increase the proportion of senior positions in primary-level hospitals used to hire registered general practitioners on duty, to stimulate the enthusiasm of family doctors in their work.…”