Abstract
Background: The work of health care professionals (HCPs) exposes them to emotionally difficult situations, anxiety, suffering and death, so they are at risk of burnout.Objectives: To describe HCPs’ experiences of a psychological support intervention and its influence on the daily work of a sample caring for patients with neuromuscular and chronic respiratory illnesses.Methods: This exploratory, descriptive, qualitative study was carried out at the Respiratory Rehabilitation Unit of IRCCS Santa Maria Nascente, in Milan, Italy. Semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 10 HCPs were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).Results: Five related themes emerged: psychological support; repeating the experience; relationships; the role of homework; competences. HCPs perceived that the intervention influenced their daily life, giving them a secure base and a new perspective on their professional role.Conclusion: Psychological support interventions may not be appropriate for all HCPs, but they may help some HCPs to handle the demands of a stressful work life. Further studies are needed to determine its efficacy in reducing stress and prevent burnout.
Highlights
Previous studies of practicing physicians and nurses and those in training (Rudman and Gustavsson, 2012; Shanafelt et al, 2015b) and health care professionals (HCPs) in general (Moss et al, 2016) report that the prevalence of burnout, a work-related syndrome, has reached 60% (Bodenheimer and Sinsky, 2014)
Recent studies of the Italian National Health Care System (NHS) have emphasized that the recent financial crisis has limited the hiring of new workers over several years and noted that the Italian NHS has an aging workforce that is exposed to a high number of job stressors including lack of role clarity and resources, time pressure and a bureaucratic apparatus (Bressi et al, 2009; Carta et al, 2017)
Patients with neuromuscular and chronic respiratory diseases often have to get used to using devices for non-invasive ventilation (NIV), percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), or radiologically inserted gastrostomy (RIG), tracheotomy and communication and so both HCPs and caregivers need to be adequately trained in the use and maintenance of these devices to ensure that they follow recommended procedures meticulously (Sahni and Wolfe, 2018)
Summary
Previous studies of practicing physicians and nurses and those in training (Rudman and Gustavsson, 2012; Shanafelt et al, 2015b) and health care professionals (HCPs) in general (Moss et al, 2016) report that the prevalence of burnout, a work-related syndrome, has reached 60% (Bodenheimer and Sinsky, 2014). Recent studies of the Italian NHS have emphasized that the recent financial crisis has limited the hiring of new workers over several years and noted that the Italian NHS has an aging workforce that is exposed to a high number of job stressors including lack of role clarity and resources, time pressure and a bureaucratic apparatus (Bressi et al, 2009; Carta et al, 2017). These considerations are even more important if related to the disease severity treated. The work of health care professionals (HCPs) exposes them to emotionally difficult situations, anxiety, suffering and death, so they are at risk of burnout
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
