The processes and outcomes of nurses’ work are described extensively in studies about
patient care, nursing education and training, job satisfaction, health care quality
and management, and organizational behavior. These studies evaluate the relationship
between nurses’ behavior and organizational health (ie, productivity) or between nurses’
behavior and patient health (ie, medical error). Fewer studies probe the association
between the nature of nursing work and the status of nurses’ health despite the logical
connection between how well nurses feel and how well they perform, or even, whether
they discontinue working altogether for health reasons. Yet, for many nurses working
in today’s health care environment, work is a stressful part of their lives. This
article explores the connections between stressful work and nurses’ health, especially
given the restructuring of their work in the current health care system. The working
conditions that give rise to stress and the potential health consequences from it
are well described in the general stress literature and summarized herein. Moreover,
studies about nurses’ work and nurses’ health are discussed in light of the limitations
for connecting job stress to job changes or health outcomes over time. Current approaches
for dealing with nurses’ stress, such as the attraction to “Magnetism”, may inadvertently
impede progress in this area. Recommendations for the future are included.
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Biography
Eileen McNeely is Director for the Training Program in Occupational Health Services, Research and Policy, in the Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health Program, Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
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© 2005 Mosby, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
