Preventing occupational stress in healthcare workers
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines occupational stress as "the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker" (NIOSH, 2008) Healthcare workers have been identified as being at high risk for occupational or work related stress due to exposure to stressors at work. For example, in the United Kingdom, the healthcare sector has the highest estimated prevalence of work related stress (Health and Safety Executive, 2013) This stress is a consequence of organizational factors and a mismatch between demands, skills, and social support at work, or any combination of these. Factors that have been shown to increase the risk of stress include increasing workload, emotional response to contact with suffering and dying patients and organizational problems and conflict (McNeely, 2005; Payne&FirthCozens, 1987) A European survey on working conditions revealed that the healthcare sector rated highest on two significant causes of stress: hiding ones' own emotions and adverse social behavior (Eurofound, 2012) The consequences of occupational stress on healthcare workers include severe distress, burnout, or psychosomatic diseases and a corresponding decline in quality of life and their quality of care or service provision (Weinberg and Creed, 2000) There is also an economic impact of occupational stress on healthcare organizations through increased rates of absenteeism and turnover (Jacobson et al. 1996; Raiger, 2005) and compensation claims (Williamson, 1994) Three strategies to combat occupational stress are acknowledged (Ruotsalainen, Verbeek, Marine, Serra, 2015) First, cognitive behavioral training (CBT) provides new ways for the person to feel, think, and act in stressful situations. Second, mental or physical relaxation techniques work by diverting attention away from unpleasant and stressful thoughts and feelings and help to foster resilience in the person. Third, organizational interventions, in which work practices are adjusted to match and make better use of workers' capabilities, help to prevent stressful events from occurring.