Abstract
Objectiveto assess the effects of a workplace physical activity (WPA) program on levels of anxiety, depression, burnout, occupational stress and self-perception of health and work-related quality of life of a nursing team in a palliative care unit. Methodsthe WPA was conducted five days per week, lasting ten minutes, during three consecutive months. Twenty-one nursing professionals were evaluated before and after the intervention, with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Maslch Burnout Inventory, and the Job Stress Scale. The changes in self-perceived health and work-related quality of life were measured using a semi-structured questionnaire. Resultsthe WPA did not yield significant results on the levels of anxiety, depression, burnout or occupational stress. However, after the intervention, participants reported improved perceptions of bodily pain and feeling of fatigue at work. Conclusionthe WPA did not lead to beneficial effects on occupational stress and psychological variables, but it was well accepted by the nursing professionals, who reported improvement in perceptions of health and work-related quality of life.
Highlights
Nursing professionals working in palliative care (PC) need to face existential and emotional demands, since they are directly exposed to the suffering of patients who are at the end of their lives, and the suffering of their family caregivers[1,2]
The search for interventions targeted toward nursing professionals, in an effort to reduce the risk of occupational health problems, is of utmost importance[9]
Little is known about the impact of a workplace physical activity (WPA) program in terms of its improving aspects associated with occupational health in nursing professionals working in oncology PC
Summary
Nursing professionals working in palliative care (PC) need to face existential and emotional demands, since they are directly exposed to the suffering of patients who are at the end of their lives, and the suffering of their family caregivers[1,2]. Still debatable[3], it is possible that these professionals have a higher risk for developing work-related stress[1]. This stress has been associated with the occurrence of anxiety[4,5], depression[5,6] and burnout[7]. The search for interventions targeted toward nursing professionals, in an effort to reduce the risk of occupational health problems, is of utmost importance[9]. Little is known about the impact of a workplace physical activity (WPA) program in terms of its improving aspects associated with occupational health in nursing professionals working in oncology PC
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