Nurses feeling more stress than ever

OCT 15, 2013 If nurses have felt overworked and under stress in the past, 2013 is proving to be a particular trying year for the country’s nursing corps, according to a new Nursing Times survey published at the beginning of October. In fact, eight out of 10 nurses feel they are under more pressure at work than they were 12 months ago, with seven out of 10 suffering the side-effects of stress, compared to a similar survey conducted in 2012.

Among the findings:
· Nearly half (46 percent) of nurses polled indicated they work noticeably longer hours than this time last year;

· Seventy-three percent said they had suffered adverse side effects of work-related stress, including physical or mental health problems;

· About 37 percent of nurses who responded have taken more sick days in the past 12 months than normal, a result of work; and

· Nearly three of four nurses who responded said they had felt under pressure from their employers to report to work when they were feeling ill.

Authors say the higher figures reflect the overall pressure the nursing industry finds itself due to the country’s lagging economy and a stressed healthcare system.

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