How much stress a nurse is feeling can impact them considerably, both at work and at home.
One thing that could create a lot of stress for a nurse is having to deal with an especially heavy workload. A recent study indicates that workloads might be particularly heavy for nurses here in Wisconsin.
Among the things the study did was rank the states on how overworked their nurses were. The rankings were based on the nurse-to-resident ratios in the states. The study found Wisconsin’s ratio to be 5.8 nurses for every 1,000 state residents. This put Wisconsin No. 3 in the rankings for states with the most overworked nurses.
Do you think nurses in Wisconsin are particularly overworked? What impact do you think current workload levels are having within the nursing profession in the state? What things do you think most help with coping with workload-related stress in nursing?
Another thing that can give rise to stressful situations for a nurse is dealing with complicated legal issues in connection to their practice of nursing, such as license matters. Nurses may have a variety of significant worries when such issues come up, including concerns over what impacts the issues will have on their future in the profession. They may fear that they will lose control over their own professional destiny. Among the things that might help a nurse feel less out of control of the situation and potentially less stressed when dealing with such issues is having a clear idea of what rights and options they have related to standing up for their interests in such matters. Nurses can seek out guidance and information on this from experienced health attorneys.
Source: Greenfield Patch, “Wisconsin Nurses Among Most Overworked in U.S.: Study,” Scott Anderson, Aug. 29, 2017