Abstract
BackgroundOperating room (OR) nurses need to be resilient in order to cope with extreme demands in their workplace. This research focused on the effectiveness of sensory stimulation therapy (SST) to strengthen the resilience of nurses in the OR of a private hospital in the North West Province.PurposeThe purpose was to determine the effectiveness of SST as an intervention to strengthen the resilience of OR nurses.DesignA quasi-experimental design was used.MethodThe population consisted of OR nurses and ICU nurses at private hospitals in the North West Province. All-inclusive sampling was used. Forty-one OR nurses formed the intervention group. A pilot group (8 subjects, OR nurses), as well as a comparison group (23 subjects, ICU nurses), was also sampled. An intervention, namely SST, was implemented with the intervention group. The resilience of the intervention group, pilot group and comparison group was measured before and after the implementation of the SST by means of Wagnild and Young’s resilience questionnaire. The intervention group also completed a self-report questionnaire on their needs and suggestions for SST and wrote short narratives on their experience of SST. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and by thematic coding.ResultsResults indicated a significant statistical increase in the intervention group’s resilience levels. Results from the narratives confirmed that the intervention group’s resilience may have been strengthened through SST.ConclusionSST has potential to strengthen the resilience of OR nurses.
Highlights
Introduction and backgroundThis research focused on the effectiveness of a sensory stimulation therapy (SST) intervention to strengthen the resilience of nurses in the operating room (OR) of a private hospital in the North West Province.Nurses in general report stress predominantly related to the work environment and burnout (Vowels, Topp & Berger 2012) because of high health-care risks and increased workload, in terms of infectious diseases, confrontations with death and suffering, poor communication and social support, shift work and emotional demands (Firth-Cozens 2001; Pisanti et al 2003)
The results of the self-report questionnaire were that subjects of the intervention group all indicated that they have never participated in an SST intervention before and it was a firsttime experience for them
The short narratives written by the subjects in the intervention group confirm that their resilience might have been strengthened through the SST intervention
Summary
Introduction and backgroundThis research focused on the effectiveness of a sensory stimulation therapy (SST) intervention to strengthen the resilience of nurses in the operating room (OR) of a private hospital in the North West Province.Nurses in general report stress predominantly related to the work environment and burnout (Vowels, Topp & Berger 2012) because of high health-care risks and increased workload, in terms of infectious diseases, confrontations with death and suffering, poor communication and social support, shift work and emotional demands (Firth-Cozens 2001; Pisanti et al 2003). This research focused on the effectiveness of a sensory stimulation therapy (SST) intervention to strengthen the resilience of nurses in the operating room (OR) of a private hospital in the North West Province. Contributing factors to stress include the high number of inexperienced nurses (Gillespie et al 2007), stress of working with too many patients (Hegney et al 2006) and spending insufficient time with patients in need (Boykin et al 2003). The well-being of nurses experiencing high levels of stress is at risk, especially in highly specialised departments, such as intensive care units and ORs. Operating room (OR) nurses need to be resilient in order to cope with extreme demands in their workplace. This research focused on the effectiveness of sensory stimulation therapy (SST) to strengthen the resilience of nurses in the OR of a private hospital in the North West Province.
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.
