Andrew McVicar

Bio: Andrew McVicar is an academic researcher from Anglia Ruskin University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Nurse education & Nursing research. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 66 publications receiving 1849 citations.

Workplace stress in nursing: a literature review.

Abstract: Background Stress perception is highly subjective, and so the complexity of nursing practice may result in variation between nurses in their identification of sources of stress, especially when the workplace and roles of nurses are changing, as is currently occurring in the United Kingdom health service This could have implications for measures being introduced to address problems of stress in nursing Aims To identify nurses’ perceptions of workplace stress, consider the potential effectiveness of initiatives to reduce distress, and identify directions for future research Method A literature search from January 1985 to April 2003 was conducted using the key words nursing, stress, distress, stress management, job satisfaction, staff turnover and coping to identify research on sources of stress in adult and child care nursing Recent (post-1997) United Kingdom Department of Health documents and literature about the views of practitioners was also consulted Findings Workload, leadership/management style, professional conflict and emotional cost of caring have been the main sources of distress for nurses for many years, but there is disagreement as to the magnitude of their impact Lack of reward and shiftworking may also now be displacing some of the other issues in order of ranking Organizational interventions are targeted at most but not all of these sources, and their effectiveness is likely to be limited, at least in the short to medium term Individuals must be supported better, but this is hindered by lack of understanding of how sources of stress vary between different practice areas, lack of predictive power of assessment tools, and a lack of understanding of how personal and workplace factors interact Conclusions Stress intervention measures should focus on stress prevention for individuals as well as tackling organizational issues Achieving this will require further comparative studies, and new tools to evaluate the intensity of individual distress

Scoping the common antecedents of job stress and job satisfaction for nurses (2000–2013) using the job demands–resources model of stress

Abstract: Aim: To identify core antecedents of job stress and job satisfaction, and to explore the potential of stress interventions to improve job satisfaction. Background: Decreased job satisfaction for nurses is strongly associated with increased job stress. Stress management strategies might have the potential to improve job satisfaction. Evaluation: Comparative scoping review of studies (2000–2013) and location of their outcomes within the ‘job demands–job resources’ (JD-R) model of stress to identify commonalities and trends. Discussion: Many, but not all, antecedents of both phenomena appeared consistently suggesting they are common mediators. Others were more variable but the appearance of ‘emotional demands’ as a common antecedent in later studies suggests an evolving influence of the changing work environment. The occurrence of ‘shift work’ as a common issue in later studies points to further implications for nurses’ psychosocial well-being. Conclusions: Job satisfaction problems in nursing might be co-responsive to stress management intervention. Improving the buffering effectiveness of increased resilience and of prominent perceived job resource issues are urgently required. Implications for nursing management: Participatory, psychosocial methods have the potential to raise job resources but will require high-level collaboration by stakeholders, and participative leadership and facilitation by managers to enable better decision-latitude, support for action planning and responsive changes.

Self-help groups as mutual support: what do carers value?

Abstract: The literature suggests that the United Kingdom, in common with Europe, North America, Canada and Scandinavia, has seen significant growth in single-issue self-help/mutual aid groups concerned with health and social care issues since the 1970s, but there is only ad hoc academic and policy interest in such groups in the United Kingdom. This article presents findings from a doctoral study with two self-help/mutual aid groups for carers in South-East England. The data are drawn from semistructured interviews with 15 active members which explored reasons for joining, benefits derived from membership, and perceived differences between support gained by membership and their relationship with professionals. Most group members had prior experience of voluntary work/activity, which influenced their decision to join, often prompted by a failure of the 'usual' support network of family/friends to cope or adjust to the carer's needs. Members reported personal gains of empathy, emotional information, experiential knowledge and practical information, based on a core value of reciprocity through peer support. It is this latter benefit that sets apart membership of self-help groups from groups supported by professionals who may not appreciate the scope and breadth of carers' responsibilities, or of the importance of their relationship with the person for whom they care. In this way, self-help groups offered additional, but not alternative, 'space' that enabled members to transcend their traditional role as a 'carer'. It is concluded that self-help/mutual aid groups, based on reciprocal peer support, offer a valuable type of resource in the community that is not replicable in professional-client relations. The findings have contemporary relevance given the raft of new policies which value the experiential knowledge built by both individual and collectives of carers.

Service user involvement in postgraduate mental health education. Does it benefit practice

Abstract: Background and Aims: Few universities involve service users in the presentation of postgraduate mental health education. This retrospective study evaluates their influence on Masters students withi...

Personal resilience as a strategy for surviving and thriving in the face of workplace adversity: a literature review.

Abstract: Title. Personal resilience as a strategy for surviving and thriving in the face of workplace adversity: a literature review Aim. This paper is a report of a literature review to explore the concept of personal resilience as a strategy for responding to workplace adversity and to identify strategies to enhance personal resilience in nurses. Background. Workplace adversity in nursing is associated with excessive workloads, lack of autonomy, bullying and violence and organizational issues such as restructuring, and has been associated with problems retaining nurses in the workforce. However, despite these difficulties many nurses choose to remain in nursing, and survive and even thrive despite a climate of workplace adversity. Data sources. The literature CINAHL, EBSCO, Medline and Pubmed databases were searched from 1996 to 2006 using the keywords ‘resilience’, ‘resilience in nursing’, and ‘workplace adversity’ together with ‘nursing’. Papers in English were included. Findings. Resilience is the ability of an individual to positively adjust to adversity, and can be applied to building personal strengths in nurses through strategies such as: building positive and nurturing professional relationships; maintaining positivity; developing emotional insight; achieving life balance and spirituality; and, becoming more reflective. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that nurses can actively participate in the development and strengthening of their own personal resilience to reduce their vulnerability to workplace adversity and thus improve the overall healthcare setting. We recommend that resilience-building be incorporated into nursing education and that professional support should be encouraged through mentorship programmes outside nurses’ immediate working environments.

Workplace stress in nursing: a literature review.

Abstract: Background Stress perception is highly subjective, and so the complexity of nursing practice may result in variation between nurses in their identification of sources of stress, especially when the workplace and roles of nurses are changing, as is currently occurring in the United Kingdom health service This could have implications for measures being introduced to address problems of stress in nursing Aims To identify nurses’ perceptions of workplace stress, consider the potential effectiveness of initiatives to reduce distress, and identify directions for future research Method A literature search from January 1985 to April 2003 was conducted using the key words nursing, stress, distress, stress management, job satisfaction, staff turnover and coping to identify research on sources of stress in adult and child care nursing Recent (post-1997) United Kingdom Department of Health documents and literature about the views of practitioners was also consulted Findings Workload, leadership/management style, professional conflict and emotional cost of caring have been the main sources of distress for nurses for many years, but there is disagreement as to the magnitude of their impact Lack of reward and shiftworking may also now be displacing some of the other issues in order of ranking Organizational interventions are targeted at most but not all of these sources, and their effectiveness is likely to be limited, at least in the short to medium term Individuals must be supported better, but this is hindered by lack of understanding of how sources of stress vary between different practice areas, lack of predictive power of assessment tools, and a lack of understanding of how personal and workplace factors interact Conclusions Stress intervention measures should focus on stress prevention for individuals as well as tackling organizational issues Achieving this will require further comparative studies, and new tools to evaluate the intensity of individual distress