Bakgrund : Att arbeta som sjuksköterska ses idag som ett stressigt yrke där sjuksköterskor möter arbetsrelaterade stressfaktorer i det dagliga arbetet. Trots att arbetskraven har ökat ska sjuksköterskan kunna genomföra en god omvårdnad och ha kunskap inom flertal områden. Det är betydelsefullt att belysa vilka stressfaktorer som påverkar sjuksköterskans arbete för att kunna ge en god och säker vård och för att minska stressen hos sjuksköterskor. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva arbetsrelaterade stress faktorer hos sjuksköterskor. Metod: En litteraturstudie har genomförts med hjälp av kvantitativa och kvalitativa artiklar, femton artiklar inkluderades. Resultat: Arbetsrelaterade stressfaktorer hos sjuksköterskor identifierades såsom hög arbetsbelastning, samarbetsproblem och konflikter samt emotionella stressfaktorer vilket påverkade sjuksköterskans omvårdnadsarbete negativt. Slutsats: Det är viktigt att belysa arbetsrelaterade stressfaktorer för att förebygga stress på arbetet och för att ge sjuksköterskor en bättre arbetsmiljö vilket i sin tur leder till patientsäker vård. / Background: Working as a nurse is a stressful job today, where nurses meet work-related stress factors in their daily work. Regardless of the fact that work requirements have increased, the nurse must be able to carry out good care and have knowledge in several areas. It is important to highlight which stress factors affect the nurse's work in order to provide good and safe care and to reduce the stress of nurses. Purpose: The purpose was to describe work-related stress factors in nurses. Method: A literature study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative articles, fifteen articles were included. Results: Work-related stress factors in nurses were identified as high workloads, collaborative problems and conflicts, and emotional stressors, which negatively affected the nurse's nursing work. Conclusion: It is important to highlight work-related stress factors to prevent stress at work and to give nurses a better working environment.

A current topic that is being discussed in education is the opportunity to work after graduation. The thesis strives to investigate what kind of competence is being created in higher education in order to determine the employability of the student and to clarify what educational support that is available. The study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with seven student counselors who shared their views on the correlation between education and the labor market in order to explore how to work with employability. The result shows that there is a lack of work-related learning in higher education that increases the gap between education and the labor market. The student indicates stress and anxiety about the future of the labor market and feels lost in what the education generates for type of competence. To avoid this problem, information about the skills that the labor market is demanding should be implemented in education and the opportunity to assign internships in the general programs.

Despite increased awareness about patient safety and quality of care, errors and adverse outcomes occur frequently in clinical practice. An estimated 10% of the 35.1 million U.S. hospital patients suffered injuries caused by medical errors; the most common were medication errors, which accounted for more than 50% of all medical errors. Work-related stress is associated with medication errors for health care professionals (HCP) in Saudi Arabia (SA) hospitals; however, the specific types of stressors and their effect on the level of medication errors have not been studied in SA. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the overall level and sources of work-related stress using the job stress scale on the level of medication errors for a group of 269 HCPs working at King Abdul-Aziz Hospital (KAH) in SA. The theoretical framework for this research was the Donabedian patient safety model, which relates healthcare quality to personal, environmental, and organizational factors. Binary logistic regression analyses indicated there was no relationship between overall levels of stress and medication errors. However, specific sources of work related stress such as disruption to home life, excessive workload, and night/weekend call duties were associated with a significant increase in the medication error rate, while pressure to meet deadlines and difficulties with colleagues was associated with a significant decrease in the medication error rate. Positive social change implications include how understanding the impact of work-related stress on medication errors by SA HCPs may lead to specific interventions to reduce medication errors and improve patient care.

The quality of the physical workspace environment has been widely debated in research and corporate communities. Inadequate workspace conditions have been associated with elevated levels of work-related stress, productivity, and job satisfaction. However, scholarly literature offers very little on the relationship between workspace and office placement, and workforce productivity and wellbeing. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to examine the impact of customized workspace and strategic office placement on work related stress, productivity, and job satisfaction. Optimal distinctiveness theory and cognitive-motivational-relational theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. Nine research questions in this study were designed to identify any statistically significant difference in any of the three dependent variables(work-related stress, productivity, job satisfaction) in relation to workspace design and office placement. The Work Stress Scale, Individual Work Performance Questionnaire, and the Brief Index of Affective Job Satisfaction served as data collection instruments. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 131 male and female full-time employees from 5 different organizations nationwide. With a 2x2 causal-comparative research design, a multivariate analysis of variance was conducted, which showed statistically significant difference on work-related stress and job satisfaction in relation to workspace design with no statistically significant difference for the remaining seven research questions. This study offers significant insight into best practices for ensuring the highest quality of workspace environment to enable optimal employee performance along with improved overall wellbeing.

Computer technology has advanced rapidly in the past few decades and computers have become a very important and powerful tool in our everyday lives. Prolonged computer use by office workers has been reported to result in an increased risk of developing Work-related Neck and Upper Limb Disorders (WRNULD) (Bernard et al.. 1994: Faucett & Rempel. 1994: Tittiranonda et al.. 1999). The occupational risk factors associated with prolonged computer use include static posture and the speed and force of keyboard operation. Past studies have examined different aspects of these risk factors through measuring muscle electrical activity (EMG), kinematics and keyboard forces. However, most of these studies have been conducted on healthy painfree subjects and even the few Case-Control studies have not clearly established any direct relationships between the risk factors and WRNULD. The present research project consisted of a series of three studies aimed at investigating whether there were intrinsic differences among different individuals in response to different physical stressors. These intrinsic differences may have important implications to help explain why some individuals would develop WRNULD while others do not. The individuals' responses to the demands of three physical stressors: static posture, speed and force of keyboard operation were assessed. The internal exposure measures of kinematics, EMG, keyboard dynamics and subjective discomforts were used to evaluate the inter-individual differences. Study I was a field investigation comparing the neck-shoulder kinematics between symptomatic ("Case", n=8) and asymptomatic ("Control", n=8) office workers. Results showed trends for consistently greater head tilt and neck flexion angles, and greater ranges of movements in the Case Group than the Control Group. / The Case Group also exhibited a trend for increased acromion protraction compared to the Control Group. The Case Group also reported significantly greater discomfort scores compared to the Control Group. Neither the discomforts nor the kinematics displayed any significant changes over a working day. Study 2 was a laboratory study comparing the responses of Case and Control Groups in terms of EMG, kinematics and subjective discomforts, while a standardised computer task was performed continuously for one hour. The responses of Case (n=23) and Control (n=20) Groups were compared to examine the effects of static posture. The results showed similar trends to those in Study I, with increased neck flexion mean angles and ranges of movements in the Case Group compared to the Control Group. In terms of EMG results, there were trends for EMG amplitude differences in the right upper trapezius (UT) and cervical erector spinae (CES) muscles between Case and Control Groups. These trends became statistically significant when the Case subjects were sub-divided into the High (n=15) and Low (n=8) Groups based on their mean discomfort scores. Study 3 was also a laboratory study to compare the Case (n=21) and Control (n=20) Groups when they were challenged by the physical stressors of speed and force of keyboard operation. In this study, each subject's EMG and discomforts were examined in three typing conditions of normal speed and force, increased typing speed and increased typing force. The Case Group showed trends for higher increases in both UT and CES muscle activities than the Control Group, and when divided into the High-Low Groups, the High Group (n=8) showed trends for much higher muscle activities in all three conditions. / Beside muscle activity changes, the High Group subjects also demonstrated a trend for much higher within-subject Speed and Force Variabilities in their keystroke performance, compared to the Low Group and the Control Group. This result implied that the High Group subjects had a more erratic motor control of the keystroke actions. Based on these results, conceptual models were developed to describe the relationships among the physical stressors, internal exposure responses and discomforts. The Altered Motor Control Model refers to the programmed changes in motor control strategies involving muscle recruitment and joint movement patterns, and these changes were closely related to the subjects' musculoskeletal discomforts. The Heightened Sensitivity Model describes the higher sensitivity levels of individuals with more severe discomforts, in response to the demands of physical stressors. These models are closely related and heightened sensitivity may be an 'effect-modifier" of the motor control mechanisms and the perception of discomforts or pains within the individual. In conclusion, the present research has identified important differences between individuals on the basis of their motor control strategies which may contribute to the development of WRNULD. While the present research has mainly examined the individual responses to three physical stressors, it is possible that the models developed may be applicable to other physical stressors. These findings may also have important implications for future ergonomic research, emphasising the need to address interindividual differences in ergonomic interventions to workers. Further research should be directed towards better understanding of these intrinsic individual differences in both physical and non-physical factors that contribute to the development of WRNULD.

ABSTRACT Occupational exposure to wood dust and biohazards associated with wood dust (endotoxins, (1->3)-b-D-glucans, Gram (-)ve bacteria and fungi), their correlation to respiratory function, and symptoms among woodworkers have been investigated in the present study. Wood dust, endotoxins, and allergenic fungi are the main hazards found in woodworking environments. Relatively very few studies have been done on wood dust exposure. The present study was designed to comprehensively investigate the health effects of wood dust exposure, and in particular provide new information regarding: Exposure to (1->3)-b-D-glucans in an occupational environment; Levels of exposure to wood dust and biohazards associated with wood dust in different woodworking environments; Correlations among personal exposures, especially correlations between (1->3)-b-D-glucans and fungi exposures, and endotoxins and Gram (-)ve bacteria exposures; Effects of personal exposure to biohazards on lung function; Effects of personal exposure to biohazards on work-related symptoms; and Determinants of inhalable exposures (provide which factors in the environment influence the personal inhalable exposures). Workers at four different woodworking processes; two logging sites, four sawmills, one major woodchipping operation and five joineries situated in the state of New South Wales in Australia were studied for personal exposure to inhalable dust (n=182) and respirable dust (n=81), fungi (n=120), Gram (-)ve bacteria (n=120), inhalable endotoxin (n=160), respirable endotoxin (n=79), inhalable (1->3)-b-D-glucan (n=105), and respirable (1->3)-b-D-glucan (n=62). The workers (n=168) were also tested for lung function. A questionnaire study (n=195) was carried out to determine the prevalence of work-related symptoms. The geometric mean inhalable exposure at logging sites was 0.56 mg/m3 (n=7), sawmills 1.59 mg/m3 (n=93), the woodchipping mill 1.86 mg/m3 (n=9) and joineries 3.68 mg/m3 (n=66). Overall, sixty two percent of the exposures exceeded the current standards. Among joineries, 95% of the hardwood exposures and 35% of the softwood exposures were above the relevant standards. Compared with green mills, the percentage of samples, which exceeded the hardwood standard was high for dry mills (70% in dry mills, 50% in green mills). The respirable dust exposures were high at the joineries compared with the other worksites. Exposure levels to fungi at logging sites and sawmills were in the range 103-104 cfu/m3, woodchipping 103-105 cfu/m3 and joineries 102-104 cfu/m3. The predominant fungi found at sawmills were Penicillium spp. High exposure levels of Aureobasidium pullulans were also found at two sawmills. At the woodchipping mill the predominant species were Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium spp., and Paecilomyces spp. The sawmills, which employed kiln drying processes, had lower exposure levels of fungi compared with the green mills. Those workplaces which had efficient dust control systems showed less exposure to fungi and bacteria. Although mean endotoxin levels were lower than the suggested threshold value of 20 ng/m3, some personal exposures at sawmills and joineries exceeded the threshold limit value. The mean inhalable (1->3)-b-D-glucan level at the woodchipping mill was 2.32 ng/m3, at sawmills 1.37 ng/m3, at logging sites 2.02 ng/m3, and at joineries 0.43 ng/m3. For the respirable size fraction, mean endotoxin and mean (1->3)-b-D-glucan concentrations were much lower, being similar to observed dust concentrations. Significant correlations were found between mean inhalable endotoxin and Gram (-)ve bacteria levels (p<0.0001), and mean airborne inhalable (1->3)-b-D-glucan and fungi levels (p=0.0003). The correlations between mean respirable endotoxin levels vs Gram (-)ve bacteria exposure levels (p=0.005), and respirable (1->3)-b-D-glucan exposure levels vs total fungi levels (p=0.005) were also significant. Significant correlations were found between lung function and personal exposures. Multivariate analyses showed that the effect of all the personal exposures on cross-shift decrements in lung function was more prominent among sawmill and chip mill workers compared with joinery workers. Woodworkers had markedly high prevalence of cough, phlegm, chronic bronchitis, frequent headaches, throat and eye irritations, and nasal symptoms compared with controls. Among the woodworkers, smokers had a high prevalence of chronic bronchitis (20%) compared with non-smokers (10%). Some workers also reported a variety of allergy problems due to exposure to various types of wood dust. Both joinery workers and sawmill and chip mill workers revealed significant correlations between work-related symptoms and personal exposures. Chronic bronchitis was significantly correlated with personal exposure to wood dust, endotoxin, (1->3)-b-D-glucan, fungi, and Gram (-)ve bacteria among joinery workers. Whereas among sawmill workers chronic bronchitis was significantly correlated with personal exposure to endotoxin, (1->3)-b-D-glucan, and fungi. Woodworkers showed significant positive correlations between percentage cross-shift change (decrease) in lung function and respiratory symptoms. Significant inverse correlations were also found among percentage predicted lung function and respiratory symptoms. The elevated inhalable dust exposures observed in this study can be explained by a combination of factors, including: lack of awareness of potential health effects of wood dust exposure among both management and workers, aging equipment, inadequate and ineffective dust extraction systems or usually none especially for hand held tools, poor maintenance of the ventilation system in some, non-segregation of dusty processes, dry sweeping, and the use of compressed air jets. The determinant-of-exposure analysis confirmed the field observations. The significant determinants of personal inhalable dust exposures (n=163) were found to be: local exhaust ventilation, job title, use of hand-held tools, cleaning method used, use of compressed air, and green or dry wood processed. Type of wood processed was not found to be statistically significant. A majority of workers (~90%) did not wear appropriate respirators approved for wood dust, while the workers who did wear them, used them on average less than 50% of the time. Workers should be protected by controlling dust at its source. When exposure to wood dust cannot be avoided, engineering controls should be supplemented with the use of appropriate personal protective equipment.

Doctor of Philosophy(PhD) / Background: There is no on-going information on the number, rate or circumstances of work-related fatal injury in Australia. This thesis reports on a study aimed to identify and describe all work-related fatalities that occurred in Australia during the four-year period 1989 to 1992, in order to make a significant contribution to the effectiveness of activity designed to prevent work-related traumatic death. Methods: A broad definition of work was used, with particular focus on workers and bystanders. The study also included the injury-related deaths of volunteers, students, persons performing home duties and persons fatally injured on farms but not due to obvious farm work. The data were obtained primarily from coronial files. Files were found for 99.7% of the deaths of interest. Detailed results are presented on the work-related deaths of workers, bystanders and persons fatally injured while engaged in home duties. The results for workers are also compared with those from an earlier study of work-related fatalities in Australia, which covered the years 1982 to 1984 inclusive. Other aspects of work-related deaths are considered in detail, including the effect of employment arrangements; their coverage by occupational health and safety and compensation agencies; their handling by the coronial system; the role of External Cause codes in identifying and monitoring work-related injury deaths; and the reliability and validity of the definitions used to classify work-related injury deaths. Results: There were 2,413 persons fatally injured while working or commuting during the study period (1,787 working; 626 commuting), with a rate of death for working persons of 5.5 per 100,000 persons per year. This compared to the rate of 6.7 for working deaths during 1982 to 1984, with just under half of the decline probably due to changes in the industry distribution of the workforce. Another 802 persons were fatally injured as a result of someone else’s work activity, and 296 persons aged 15 years and over were fatally injured while undertaking active tasks in an unpaid and informal capacity in their own home or in someone else’s home. Thirty-four percent of working deaths were not covered by either occupational health and safety (OHS) or compensation agencies. A consideration of External Cause codes for the period 1979 to 1997 inclusive suggested there was a yearly decrease in the rate of workplace deaths of 2.6% per year, with less than half of this change due to industry changes in the workforce. Deaths occurring in a small number of particular circumstances were found to pose classification problems. Conclusion: Fatal work-related trauma remains an important problem for the Australian community. By understanding how and why these deaths occur, appropriate steps can be taken to prevent similar incidents recurring. It is expected that the results reported here, and other information that has arisen from the study, will make an important contribution to developing this understanding and preventing the occurrence of work- related traumatic death in Australia.

<p>Yrket som sjuksköterska innebär ett stort ansvar för såväl patienternas omvårdnad som stöd till anhöriga. Arbetet kräver ofta full uppmärksamhet och engagemang. Syftet med studien var att undersöka orsaker till och konsekvenser av yrkesrelaterad fatigue hos sjuksköterskan. Studien genomfördes som en litteraturstudie där metoden bestod av granskning och analys av 19 vetenskapliga artiklar. Orsaker till och konsekvenser av fatigue som redovisades i artiklarna delades in i kategorier. Resultatet visade att den stora emotionella tyngden arbetet innebar var den främsta orsaken till sjuksköterskans yrkesrelaterade fatigue. Det framkom också att ett arbetsklimat med bristande stöd och förståelse från arbetskollegor och avdelningschef var starkt bidragande orsaker. Även skiftarbete visades bidra till fatigue. Både patienternas säkerhet och sjuksköterskans egen hälsa äventyrades när sjuksköterskans fatigue blev för uttalad. Vidare forskning behövs inom området för att få bättre kunskaper om hur orsakerna och konsekvenserna ska hanteras och motverkas. Forskning kan leda till utvecklandet av en handlingsplan för att förebygga yrkesrelaterad fatigue och därmed bidra till en säkrare sjukvård för patienter och sjuksköterskor.</p>

<p>This study deals with one of the most discussed work environmental issues in the modern society of Sweden today - work related stress, its causes and how stress can affect people in their working situation. Our study is based on a questionnaire among aid handling officers in two municipalities of the middle of Sweden, and two interviews with their directors. We found that aid handling officers has a complex occupational role. We also found that the officers in these two municipalities experiences about the same level of stress.</p><p>Further in the study, we will deal with whatever could be the cause of the stressful situation, using the demand/control model of Karasek and Theorell. The result shows that despite the similarity of the stress experience, the cause was shown to be different. The study shows that the stress sometimes leads to rash decisions and also that reviews may be less prioritized. We also studied the social coherence on the workplace and its meaning to the stress experience.</p><p>Earlier studies, our empirical result and Karaseks and Theorells demand/control model shows that depending on how good workgroups are able to function, may have significance on the experience of stress at work. The result also shows that it may be hard, or maybe impossible, to create a work environment that is completely free from stress.</p>

Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.