The Workplace Environment, Creative Essay Example

Introduction

Nurses in Canada have a great deal of stress imposed upon them relative to the workplace environment.  This can often result in factors of burnout, situations of violence, alienation and poor relationships with Hospital administration.  This paper addresses suggested strategies for taking remedial action and resolving workplace issues.

Tackling the Problem

There is sufficient empirical evidence to support the problem existing in Canada.  Most Canadians would agree that nurses are an important part of the health system and should be supported by providing a safe, secure and congenial work environment.  Despite this nurses continue to suffer abuse from poor work environments. These issues have been exposed and identified in a report ‘ The 2005 National Survey of the work and health of nurses’ (Torgerson, R. 2007).  Progress is being made to resolve these issue but it is slow owing to poor planning and delay in the formulation of policies and decision masking. (Saskatchewan Health, 2012)

Resolving the Issues

Any strategy formulation has to be a comprehensive policy that addresses a wide range of the current problems.  These are extensive but need to embrace such items as:-

• Improved job security : Improvement of environmental setting for improved safety and security at work;
• Flexibility of working hours : More sensible working hours to avoid burn-out of nurses and making them ill through overwork;
• Compensation – Improvement of remuneration and compensation, particularly for the more senior nursing grades;
• Overtime : Reduction of long hours of working
• Respect: Particularly long term care workers. Nurses deserve to be respected for their work and dedication
• Workload – This needs to be planned better. This quality criteria differs between provinces with Quebec being cited as amongst the worst;
• Lifestyle Programs – Improved access to recreation and exercise facilities
• Leadership – Increased delegation and consideration of nurses career development and leadership roles. Retention of the nurses should be based upon progressive areas of development and responsibility e.g. Advanced Practice Nurses. (Purdey, N.M.  2011)

Conclusion

The working environment of nurses in Canada has been highlighted owing to the number of absentees, shortage of nurses and continued cut-backs since the 1990’s.  There has been little recognition of the problem or comprehensive research to study factors of causation across Canada.  This situation is not unique to Canada and improved policies are starting to slowly reverse this trend. Nevertheless, research suggests there is need for more affirmative action in this regard that places emphasis on improved strategic planning and development of more stringent policies in order to resolve these issues.  (Schalk, M.J. 2010 )

References

Donna MJ Schalk, M. L. (2010 ). Interventions aimed at improving the nursing work environment: a systematic review. Implementation Science Vol 5 (34), 5-34.

Purdey, N. (2011). Effects of Work Environments on Nursing and Patient Outcomes. London ON: University of Western Ontario.

Saskatchewan Health. (2012, 9 14). Improving Nurses workplaces for Health. Retrieved from Saskatchewan Health: http://www.health.gov.sk.ca/improving-nursing-workplaces

Torgerson, R. (2007). Not there yet: Improving the working conditions of Canadian Nurses. Ottawa ON : Canadian Policy Research Networks.