The demographic change within the German population and the increasing number of geriatric multimorbid diseased patients will cause a rising demand for nursing care in the future. At the same time the number of young nurses to provide care in nursing homes will decrease. Therefore, nurses for the elderly should be able to remain working healthy in their jobs as long as possible.
Concerning the physical work strains, geriatric nurses often have to work standing, in strenuous posture or have to lift and carry weights, which exceed 10 kilograms for women. These strains can result in health disorders of the neck, shoulders and lower back.
Concerning the mental work strains, nurses seem to handle the present emotional requirements from disease, suffering and death quite well and perceive handling aggressive and uncooperative residents as being more challenging. These behaviors are mainly shown by residents, who suffer from dementia. When being discontent with the quality of care, geriatric nurses seem to burn out faster compared to content nurses for the elderly.
Concerning the organizational work strains, staff shortage and the linked time pressure are perceived as stressful by geriatric nurses. Nurses for the elderly perceive having too little time for the residents’ psychosocial support, which reduces the perceived quality of care and hence leads to discontent, which might result in burn-out.
Therefore, the status of employees’ sickness of geriatric nurses is above average. This tendency can be perceived in both, cases of illness as well as in average endurance. Regarding the underlying diseases, diseases of the muscles and the skeleton system, of the respiratory system and of the psyche are the most important ones.
To reduce these work strains and thus improve the employees’ health status, several measurements should be conducted by employers. These compass providing devices for avoiding physical work strains from carrying, lifting and turning residents. To avoid mental work strains, employees should be able to participate by making suggestions, when planning the service schedule, receive training and have professional leaders who obtain core leadership competencies.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Methodology
2.1 Research objectives
2.2 Research steps
3 Results
3.1 Presentation of the German care market
3.1.1 Employees within nursing homes
3.1.2 Current requirements within nursing homes
3.2 Work strains
3.2.1 Physical work strains
3.2.2 Mental work strains
3.2.3 Organizational work strains
3.2.4 Implications of work strains
3.3 Status of employees’ sickness
3.3.1 Status of employee’s sickness according to age and gender
3.3.2 Specific diseases
3.3.3 Costs
4 Conclusions
5 Recommendations
Objectives and Core Topics
The primary objective of this research is to identify the most significant physical and mental work strain factors affecting geriatric caregivers in Germany, with the ultimate goal of providing a foundation for effective workplace health promotion measures to improve employee well-being and reduce sickness-related absences.
- Analysis of the current German care market and employment trends in nursing homes.
- Categorization of physical, mental, and organizational work strains faced by caregivers.
- Examination of sickness absenteeism data, including specific health disorders and age-related trends.
- Assessment of the economic impact of staff illness and the role of leadership in reducing stress.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Work strains
Constant exposure to work strains might lead to mental, physical and psychosomatic disorders, which might evolve differently in individuals. Work strains are related to above average absenteeism from work (Küsgens 2005, p. 203; Schmidt & Hasselhorn 2007, p. 31) and cause significant microeconomic as well as macroeconomic costs (Gregersen 2005, p. 184).
According to Zimber et al. (2000b) work strains can be classified into five categories:
Work strains from the task that emerge due to time pressure, personnel shortage and interruption of work.
Work strains from the chronological task design compass overtime hours and the design of the service schedule. The central points of criticism concern lacking co-determination when creating the service schedule, missing long-term planning and many overtime hours.
Work strains from the organization concern unclear responsibilities, ineffective work flows, which lead to unnecessary work peaks, insufficient transfer of information and little consideration of the employees’ suggestions.
Work strains from the social environment occur, when the relationships between superiors and colleagues are disturbed, which indicates that conflicts are not resolved, employees’ suggestions concerning the organization are not considered and acceptance as well as appreciation are not communicated explicitly.
Strains can emerge from the personal suitability, which is especially important, when employees do not feel sufficiently qualified.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Discusses the demographic shift in Germany and the resulting increase in demand for nursing care, establishing the need for healthier working conditions.
2 Methodology: Explains the use of complex desk research and secondary data from various German institutions and health organizations to analyze caregiver strain.
3 Results: Provides an overview of the German care market and details the specific physical, mental, and organizational factors causing high sickness rates among staff.
4 Conclusions: Summarizes that unfavorable working conditions in geriatric care lead to significant health risks and high economic costs due to absenteeism.
5 Recommendations: Proposes measures such as providing lifting equipment, participative leadership, and better training to mitigate work-related stress and burnout.
Keywords
Geriatric nursing, work strains, secondary research, occupational health, staff shortage, burnout, physical workload, mental health, absenteeism, workplace health promotion, demographic change, organizational management, care quality, nursing homes, leadership competencies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the occupational work strain factors affecting caregivers in German geriatric nursing facilities and their impact on employee health.
What are the central themes of the work?
The work covers demographic challenges, physical and mental strain factors, sickness absenteeism statistics, and potential strategies for health promotion in the workplace.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to detect the most critical work strains and provide a factual basis for measures to improve employee health, reduce burnout, and decrease costs associated with sick leaves.
Which scientific methodology was applied?
The author conducted a complex desk research, analyzing secondary data retrieved from government reports, health insurance studies, and professional literature.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section details the German care market, classifies various types of work strains (physical, mental, organizational), and evaluates sickness status according to age, gender, and specific disease types.
Which keywords characterize this paper?
Key terms include geriatric nursing, work strains, occupational health, burnout, and workplace health promotion.
How does staff shortage specifically affect the workload of geriatric nurses?
Staff shortages create high time pressure and frequent interruptions, which prevent nurses from providing the desired level of psychosocial support, leading to frustration and burnout.
Why is the high percentage of female workers mentioned in the recommendations?
The author highlights this because female employees often face additional burdens from reconciling work-life balance, making flexible service scheduling and participation particularly important for their well-being.
What role do leaders play in mitigating these strains?
Leaders are encouraged to adopt a participative style, provide professional training, ensure clear responsibilities, and foster an environment where employee suggestions are valued.
- Quote paper
- Anja Böhm (Author), 2009, Work Strain Factors Among Caregivers, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/134453
