Wednesday, June 24, 2020


B.C. nurses working in acute care report high levels of stress and violence: Study


Tiffany Crawford
 
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 Nurses who work in acute care report a high level of stress, burnout, and violence in the workplace.

Nurses working in acute care, long-term care and community-care settings report high levels of mental injury and workplace violence, according to a University of B.C. study for the B.C. Nurses’ Union (BCNU).


The study, which surveyed 4,462 B.C. nurses, found that in long-term care, 85 per cent reported exposure to physical assault and 54 per cent reported high levels of burnout.

In acute care, 57 per cent of nurses reported high levels of burnout, while half were above the cutoff point for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Thirty-one per cent reported moderate or severe depression, according to a news release from the BCNU.

BCNU president Christine Sorensen says the data highlights the serious need for nurses to be better supported in their workplaces now more than ever, given the unprecedented stress and impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on nurses.

“Before COVID-19, we see there was a dire need for investments in mental-health support for nurses who are dedicated to providing care,” said Sorensen in a statement Wednesday. “Nurses are professionals and are committed to their patients, but this research shows they have been suffering in silence for too long.”
The union has also commissioned another study on psychological health and safety, which is looking at nurses’ mental health before and after the pandemic.

The union says conclusions could help to inform requirements for pandemic planning by government and health employers that will incorporate the psychological health of nurses now and for the future.

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