Effects of Duties in Terminal Patients Wards on Nurses Well-Being

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to explore the working conditions of nurses and well-being during performing their duties in terminally ill patients’ wards in B.V.H and find out the problems faced by them and to assess the impact of these problems on the social lives on nurses of Bahawal Victoria Hospital. METHODS: Survey method was used to collect data from respondents. A total of 214 nurses are working in terminally ill patients wards B.V.H from them sample size of 50% was selected randomly from all the wards of B.V.H with the response rate of 87%. Data was collected from 109 respondents using a self-administered questionnaire as a tool of data collection.RESULTS: The biggest problem faced by nurses in B.V.H is of excessive work load; nurses have to work a lot, B.V.H is facing grave scarcity of nursing staff. Due to intense nature of job, majority of nurses are victim of job stress. Job stressed has also proved to be cause of physical and psychological illnesses; like insomnia, dementia, hypertension and other disorders. What add to the injury is that apart from performing clinical duties, nurses also have to perform ward management as well. They have to maintain the records of medicine inventory in ward, maintain indent book and they are also responsible for the security of machinery or any equipment’s present in the ward. Most of the nurses are annoyed from patient’s attendants and consider them as the biggest hindrance in their job performance.CONCLUSION: Government must provide the accommodation facilities like staff colony for the nurses. The hospital administration should reduce the working hours of nurses to make some sort of relive Born their workload' There must be sufficient paid leaves in a year for the nurses. A proper service structure should be developed so the promotions and demotions should be done in accordance with some Preset rules and standards. The health department must also provide pick and drop services to the local nursing staff. Male nurses should be appointed especially for the night shift.  Quick and strict action should be taken against those who try to harass the nursing staff.

Keywords: Nurses, Terminal Patients Wards, Hypertension, Insomnia, Dementia, Harassment.

DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/80-07

Publication date:September 30^th 2020