Other Titles
Stress and quality of life in nursing
Abstract
Session presented on Sunday, March 19, 2017:
The purpose of this presentation is to provide insight and knowledge about an important, efficient, and cost effective intervention to decrease workplace stress. Nursing sick and dying children can be a source of great stress and high exposure to such events can cause burnout and compassion fatigue (Ko & Kiser-Larson, 2016). This may eventually lead to an impact on nursing competencies and productivity including absenteeism, decreased work performance, and quality of patient care (Fathi, Nasae & Thiangchanya, 2012; Milliken, Clements & Tillman, 2007). Addressing workplace stress may also help reduce hospital costs associated with these issues. The National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (2013) selected specific domains containing supportive measures to help nurses provide quality patient care through stress management. Additionally, stress-reducing interventions have the potential to create positive work environments, positive emotional health, and in turn, positive patient care outcomes. There are several interventions that have been utilized and the intervention of storytelling was researched as the most cost effective option. Storytelling can be seen as an important intervention to help decrease stress. It is a verbal recounting of a perceived meaningful event to one or more individuals that share similar experiences. By the use of storytelling, nurses may be able to manage their stress while being provided the opportunity to discuss concerns and simultaneously provide support to other nurses who experience similar events (Cook, et al, 2012; Macpherson, 2008). Also, through the intervention of storytelling nurses can reflect on and make sense of the experience they tell about, creating meaning, which allows for coping and learning when similar events transpire. This intervention was used for a pilot study involving 9 pediatric nurses working in both a neonatal intensive care unit and an inpatient pediatric unit. The method for conducting this research was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. In using a mixed-method approach quantifying data, using the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck & Mermelstein, 1983) and qualitative data, using 3 questions created by this researcher, yielded information about stress reduction interventions in this participant population. This intervention is a simple approach to stress reduction options and may be considered for use worldwide, as stressful workplace environments are not limited in boundaries. Learner objectives: 1. The learner will be able to explain the steps of an effective storytelling intervention. One feature of storytelling is the creation of dyads and/or small groups who self-identify with co-workers they feel comfortable with and who can provide support. Next a schedule should be set for meeting times, days, and places. Once the schedule is established the intervention should follow a set routine of steps to take such as identification of the storyteller and listener, prompting questions to guide the process, and reversal of roles for others to participate as storyteller. 2. The learner will be able to utilize this intervention in their own practice. Once the storytelling intervention is understood, the steps that guide the intervention can be used for stress reduction. Nurses who choose to participate and who believe that the intervention will help with their workplace stress levels can utilize storytelling at any time. 3. The learner will be able to appraise the importance of the intervention of storytelling so that perceived workplace stress will be reduced. During the process of storytelling the nurses reflect on, and make meaning of, the experience. Verbally communicating stories of patient events promotes healing by understanding and making sense of traumatic experiences creating a sense of connectedness, providing personal resilience, increasing coping, and decreasing stress (East, Jackson, O'Brien & Peters, 2010). Learning Objections: 1. The learner will be able to explain the steps of an effective storytelling intervention. 2. The learner will be able to utilize this intervention in their own practice. 3. The learner will be able to appraise the importance of the intervention of storytelling so that perceived workplace stress will be reduced.
Sigma Membership
Mu Upsilon
Lead Author Affiliation
College of Staten Island, The City University of New York, Staten Island, New York, USA
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Storytelling, Workplace Stress, Coping
Recommended Citation
Curcio, Danna L., "Helping nurses cope with stressful workplace events through the use of storytelling" (2017). Creating Healthy Work Environments Event Materials. 45.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2017/presentations_2017/45
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments 2017
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2017
Rights Holder
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All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.
All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Helping nurses cope with stressful workplace events through the use of storytelling
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Session presented on Sunday, March 19, 2017:
The purpose of this presentation is to provide insight and knowledge about an important, efficient, and cost effective intervention to decrease workplace stress. Nursing sick and dying children can be a source of great stress and high exposure to such events can cause burnout and compassion fatigue (Ko & Kiser-Larson, 2016). This may eventually lead to an impact on nursing competencies and productivity including absenteeism, decreased work performance, and quality of patient care (Fathi, Nasae & Thiangchanya, 2012; Milliken, Clements & Tillman, 2007). Addressing workplace stress may also help reduce hospital costs associated with these issues. The National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care (2013) selected specific domains containing supportive measures to help nurses provide quality patient care through stress management. Additionally, stress-reducing interventions have the potential to create positive work environments, positive emotional health, and in turn, positive patient care outcomes. There are several interventions that have been utilized and the intervention of storytelling was researched as the most cost effective option. Storytelling can be seen as an important intervention to help decrease stress. It is a verbal recounting of a perceived meaningful event to one or more individuals that share similar experiences. By the use of storytelling, nurses may be able to manage their stress while being provided the opportunity to discuss concerns and simultaneously provide support to other nurses who experience similar events (Cook, et al, 2012; Macpherson, 2008). Also, through the intervention of storytelling nurses can reflect on and make sense of the experience they tell about, creating meaning, which allows for coping and learning when similar events transpire. This intervention was used for a pilot study involving 9 pediatric nurses working in both a neonatal intensive care unit and an inpatient pediatric unit. The method for conducting this research was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. In using a mixed-method approach quantifying data, using the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck & Mermelstein, 1983) and qualitative data, using 3 questions created by this researcher, yielded information about stress reduction interventions in this participant population. This intervention is a simple approach to stress reduction options and may be considered for use worldwide, as stressful workplace environments are not limited in boundaries. Learner objectives: 1. The learner will be able to explain the steps of an effective storytelling intervention. One feature of storytelling is the creation of dyads and/or small groups who self-identify with co-workers they feel comfortable with and who can provide support. Next a schedule should be set for meeting times, days, and places. Once the schedule is established the intervention should follow a set routine of steps to take such as identification of the storyteller and listener, prompting questions to guide the process, and reversal of roles for others to participate as storyteller. 2. The learner will be able to utilize this intervention in their own practice. Once the storytelling intervention is understood, the steps that guide the intervention can be used for stress reduction. Nurses who choose to participate and who believe that the intervention will help with their workplace stress levels can utilize storytelling at any time. 3. The learner will be able to appraise the importance of the intervention of storytelling so that perceived workplace stress will be reduced. During the process of storytelling the nurses reflect on, and make meaning of, the experience. Verbally communicating stories of patient events promotes healing by understanding and making sense of traumatic experiences creating a sense of connectedness, providing personal resilience, increasing coping, and decreasing stress (East, Jackson, O'Brien & Peters, 2010). Learning Objections: 1. The learner will be able to explain the steps of an effective storytelling intervention. 2. The learner will be able to utilize this intervention in their own practice. 3. The learner will be able to appraise the importance of the intervention of storytelling so that perceived workplace stress will be reduced.