Workplace Pressures Research Articles

Workplace pressures and pharmacists under duress

Workplace pressures and pharmacists under duress

Research on the Promotion Strategy of Mindfulness Training Under the Guidance of The Tao Te Ching on Employees' Mental Health

The impact of mindfulness training on mental health has become the focus of people's attention. A large number of studies have shown that mindfulness training can effectively improve an individual's mood mood, improve emotional regulation, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve the mental health of an individual. The Tao Te Ching is a classic of Taoist philosophy, and its core ideas emphasize conforming to nature, ruling by non-action, and inner harmony. Under the guidance of the Tao Te Ching, mindfulness training can help employees better understand their work and life, adjust their mentality, effectively cope with workplace pressure, and improve their mental health. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of mindfulness training under the guidance of Tao Te Ching on employees' mental health, and to propose corresponding mental health promotion strategies.

Medical Coders' Use of the ICD-10-CM "Unspecified" Codes for Head and Brain Injury in Emergency Department Settings.

In the emergency department (ED) setting, prioritizing triage and patient care may lead to challenges in capturing detailed documentation necessary for specific International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) coding in medical records. Consequently, the prevalent use of the "unspecified head injury" code poses concerns about the precision of ED-based administrative billing claims data when analyzed for public health surveillance of nonfatal traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Understanding the perspective of medical coders can illuminate coding processes and opportunities to enhance coding accuracy for TBI and other head injuries in the ED. This evaluation explores medical coders' perspectives and challenges when assigning ICD-10-CM codes to head injuries in the ED. This qualitative evaluation utilized a phenomenological approach, which employed semi-structured interviews to understand medical coders' perspectives, processes, and coding determinations for head injuries in the ED. Interviews were conducted using a HIPAA-compliant video-based platform between July 2022 and January 2023. Seventeen medical coders with ED coding experience were interviewed. Their backgrounds were diverse, though most had more than 15years of experience. Four qualitative themes emerged, which highlighted challenges with lack of detailed documentation, defaulting to unspecified codes, time, and productivity pressure, and additional insights into coders' assumptions and code determination processes. Medical coders expressed challenges assigning ICD-10-CM codes to the highest level of specificity, citing issues including insufficient documentation by ED providers and terminology variations. Workplace time constraints and pressure for expedited claims also led to defaulting to unspecified codes. This evaluation highlights the need for improved documentation consistency and detail in ED records to facilitate accurate ICD-10-CM coding. Alleviating time pressures, improving algorithms, and offering specialized training opportunities to medical coders could be helpful steps to improve coding specificity and data accuracy for head injuries in the ED.

‘All my friends here are ghosts’: everyday geo-legalities in a rural poultry town

ABSTRACT In recent years, feminist legal geographers have pressed for deeper engagement with the lived experience of law’s spatial logics including methodologies that extend beyond the study of legal discourse, practice, and enforcement to include ethnographic and other qualitative approaches that centre the experiences of those living with legal precarity. Building upon the work of feminist political geographers concerned with intimacy geopolitics, the concept of everyday geo-legalities emphasizes the ways that people interpret the spatiality of law, legal practice, and state policing and how it affects their lives, livelihoods and im/mobilities. This research reveals how undocumented im/migrants in a small, rural poultry town interpret and socially negotiate their racialized legal status in terms of im/mobility, heighted workplace pressure, increased job-related health risks, persistent fears of immigration raids, family separation and deportation, and prejudice and policing due to discourses of racialized criminalization. Social and familial relations, however, are central to the everyday negotiation of these dynamics, as community connections and care emerge from experiences of marginalization. This paper thus emphasizes how social relations are central to analysing the complexities and contradictions of everyday legal geographies.

Pilot study of an online brief mindfulness-based intervention to improve the well-being of managers and reduce their stress at work

Objectives. The COVID-19 pandemic, remote work and new technologies have heightened workplace pressures. Effective response and essential organizational changes require business leaders to be more adaptable, with managers’ presence playing a pivotal role in successful implementation. The study assesses a brief mindfulness-based emotional regulation for managers (MBERM) intervention, to reduce workplace stress and enhance managerial well-being. Methods. An 8-week non-randomized controlled trial was conducted with a waiting list control group and an intervention group. Pre–post differences were measured by Student’s t test or Wilcoxon test, and effect size calculated using the Hedge’s g formula. The sample included 23 managers (17 men and six women) with average age 50 years. The study assessed anxiety and depressive symptoms, psychological flexibility, perceived self-efficacy, general work-related well-being, perceived stress and mindfulness. Results. Statistically significant changes were observed in the intervention group in depression, anxiety, work-related acceptance and action, general self-efficacy, exhaustion, alienation, stress and non-reactivity. The control group showed no statistically significant changes in any of the variables. Conclusion. The MBERM intervention could improve the emotional and work-related well-being of managers and reduce stress levels and burnout. Further study of this intervention is needed to promote adherence and ensure a long-term improvement.

The effect of collectivism-oriented human resource management on employee resilience of hospitality employees.

In the face of an increasingly challenging and rapidly evolving business environment, not all the employees exhibit the requisite resilience necessary to recover from adversity. From both the individual and organizational perspectives, enhancing employee resilience emerges as a critical issue not only in the practical and academic fields. In the Chinese culture, this research aims to investigate how and why collectivism-oriented human resource management (C-HRM) fosters employee resilience. Drawing on the group engagement model, we propose a serial mediating effect of perceived overall fairness and three dimensions of social identity between C-HRM and employee resilience. Using a sample of frontline employees in the hospitality industry, we conducted a field survey among 342 employees (study 1) and a two-wave online survey among 294 hospitality employees (study 2). Findings from empirical analysis indicated that C-HRM significantly increases overall fairness perception of hospitality frontline employees and in turn, their identification and respect, which further fertilize employee resilience. In addition, the indirect effect of C-HRM on employee resilience through perceived overall fairness and pride was not statistically significant. These important findings are expected to help employees cope with the workplace pressures caused by ongoing challenges and change, and contribute to sustainable career development.

The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding: a comprehensive literature review

This comprehensive literature review explores the multitude of benefits associated with exclusive breastfeeding for both infants and mothers. It synthesizes evidence from various studies and emphasizes the importance of exclusive breastfeeding as a global public health strategy. The review highlights the nutritional, immunological, developmental, and emotional advantages of exclusive breastfeeding for infants and mothers, including improved psychological well- being. Furthermore, it talks about the infant health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, nutritional benefits, immune system support, optimal growth and development, and maternal benefits such as postpartum weight loss and uterine contraction and reduced health issues like breast cancer, ovarian cancer, etc. Additionally, societal implications such as reduced healthcare costs, environmental sustainability, and enhanced workforce productivity are discussed. Despite the clear benefits, challenges and barriers persist, including cultural norms, workplace pressures, and limited access to education and support. Strategies to promote and support exclusive breastfeeding involve healthcare providers, workplaces, communities, and global efforts by WHO and UNICEF, emphasizing the importance of creating a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers.

Cultivating staff equality, diversity, and inclusion in higher education in the post-pandemic era: an organizational compassion perspective.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing challenges faced by academic staff in UK higher education and drawn attention to issues of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). Amidst global competitiveness and workplace pressures, challenges such as managerialism, increased workload, and inequalities have worsened, significantly impacting mental health. This paper presents a conceptual analysis connecting EDI with organizational compassion within the context of Higher Education. The prioritization of organizational compassion is presented as a means to enhance sensitivity to EDI in the reconstruction of post-pandemic learning environments. Anchored in the organizational compassion theory and the NEAR Mechanisms Model, our study contributes to the intersection of the organizational compassion, EDI and higher education literatures by exploring how fostering compassion relations can contribute to enhancing EDI. This offers a new perspective to creating a more humane and supportive higher education environment.

Understanding capacity for implementing new interventions: A qualitative study of speech and language therapy services for children with speech sound disorder.

Many speech sound disorder (SSD) interventions with a long-term evidence base are 'new' to clinical practice, and the role of services in supporting or constraining capacity for practice change is underexplored. Innovations from implementation science may offer solutions to this research-practice gap but have not previously been applied to SSD. To explain variation in speech and language therapy service capacity to implement new SSD interventions. We conducted an intensive, case-based qualitative study with 42 speech and language therapists (SLTs) in three NHS services (n = 39) and private practice (n = 3) in Scotland. We explored therapists' diverse experiences of SSD practice change through individual interviews (n = 28) or self-generated paired (n = 2) or focus groups (n = 3). A theoretical framework (Normalization Process Theory) helped us understand how the service context contributed to the way therapists engaged with different practice changes. We identified six types ('cases') of practice change, two of which involved the new SSD interventions. We focus on these two cases ('Transforming' and 'Venturing') and use Normalization Process Theory's Cognitive participation construct to explain implementation (or not) of new SSD interventions in routine practice. Therapists were becoming aware of the new interventions through knowledge brokers, professional networks and an intervention database. In the Transforming case, new SSD interventions for selected children were becoming part of local routine practice. Transforming was the result of a favourable service structure, a sustained and supported 'push' that made implementation of the new interventions a service priority, and considerable collective time to think about doing it. 'Venturing' happened where the new SSD interventions were not a service priority. It involved individual or informal groups of therapists trying out or using one or more of the new interventions with selected children within the constraints of their service context. New, evidence-based SSD interventions may be challenging to implement in routine practice because they have in common a need for therapists who understand applied linguistics and can be flexible with service delivery. Appreciating what it really takes to do routine intervention differently is vital for managers and services who have to make decisions about priorities for implementation, along with realistic plans for resourcing and supporting it. What is already known on the subject Many SSD interventions have an evidence base but are not widely adopted into routine clinical practice. Addressing this is not just about individual therapists or education/training, as workplace pressures and service delivery models make it difficult to change practice. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This paper applies innovations from implementation science to help explain how what is going on in services can support or constrain capacity for implementing evidence-based SSD interventions. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Service managers and therapists will have a clearer idea of the time and support they may realistically have to invest for new SSD interventions to be used routinely.

Pressures of jobseekers after graduation: Evidences from a public university of Bangladesh

Purpose: The goal of this study is to present the results for job seekers who have graduated from public universities. Methodology/approach: Quantitative and qualitative methods were used in this study. The data were gathered from 200 job-seeker students at Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR), between February and May 2022. The study adopted a purposive sampling technique to select respondents and seven case studies to draw qualitative conclusions. The study also employed The chi-squared test was used to test the hypotheses.. Results/Findings: The results of the hypothesis are as follows: there is a strong relationship between economic crisis and highly salaried jobs ( ); a medium relationship between more time to complete graduation and the pressure on job career ( ); a medium relationship between lower preparation for a job and more participants than job capacity ( ); and finally, a medium relationship between cultural influence on respondents’ behavior and alienation from family and relatives ( ). This study also discovered that pressure on students comes from a variety of sources, including family, workplace, cultural hegemony, and academic pressure. Finally, the study concludes that students may reduce demands, the government can increase employment, and jobless youth may develop self-servicing possibilities for living. Limitations: The researchers had limitations because, even without these findings, the environment and appropriateness might be advantageous for graduates instead of pressures. Another barrier is time and money. Contribution: Students, job seekers, and society at large who are concerned about unemployment and the programs that may address it both domestically and internationally will find the research to be helpful.

Government Intervention in Indian Tourism

In this globalized world, growth and progress of any country depends upon the development of different sectors of country like social, political, economic, religious, etc. Whereas tourism industry which share major chunk under service sector opened up new avenues which helps to generate surplus revenue for the country. So, Sustainable tourism has been widely acknowledged and becomes superior goal of every country’s tourism policy. An ever-faster pace in market places create high workplace pressures. So, policies should be framed to avoid negative impacts. However, the main focuses of current policies are on economic growth. The purpose of this paper is to study how government policies help tourism sector to grow in this modernized world in spite of different challenges, threats, strains, etc and to achieve sustainable development. The paper is purely based upon secondary sources which are already existed like articles, magazines, books, newspaper, literature etc.

Workplace pressure, employee stress, mental well-being and resilience in response to COVID-19 in Singapore

PurposeCOVID-19 forced organizations to implement protective measures changing how employees worked; however, empirical evidence is needed to explore how employees responded. This study examines the impact of COVID-19-related organizational changes in Singapore on employees’ perceptions of work pressure, stress and mental well-being (MWB) and the mediating role of resilience.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a cross-sectional, anonymous online survey of 157 full-time employees who had worked for at least one year.FindingsThe results found that work pressure and stress had increased, and MWB had declined. Resilience acted as a buffer against increases in work pressure and stress while promoting the maintenance of MWB. Resilience significantly mediated the relationship between stress and MWB.Research limitations/implicationsThe study does not allow for an assessment of causality but infers possible, albeit probable, casual relationships. Furthermore, stress and well-being could be influenced by a multitude of factors beyond organizational change. Future research should seek to account for additional factors and establish the generalisability of the findings beyond Singapore.Practical implicationsThis study supports the engagement of resilience-based interventions to improve employees’ MWB during pandemic related organizational change.Social implicationsPolicies that promote work-life balance, positive interpersonal relations and staying connected are some of the ways employers can bolster MWB and work-life balance to support employees who are engaged in remote work.Originality/valueGiven the unique context of COVID-19, this study allows for a better understanding of how a novel worldwide pandemic has transformed employees' experience of work and its associated impacts.

Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptability among Healthcare Workers in Kenya-A Mixed Methods Analysis.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) were a priority group for COVID-19 vaccination. Adopting the World Health Organization's 3C and the expanded 5C vaccine hesitancy models, we assessed the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptability among HCWs in Kenya. In a mixed methods study, respondents were from eight selected counties across the country. An online survey (n = 746), key informant interviews (n = 18) and focus group discussions (n = 3) were conducted. The data were analyzed concurrently. Quantitative data showed that all the 3C antecedents were strong predictors of vaccine acceptability. The association of vaccine acceptability was strongest with convenience (aOR 20.13, 95% CI 9.01-44.96), then complacency (aOR 10.15, 95% CI 4.63-22.21) and confidence (aOR 6.37, 95% CI 2.90-14.02). Marital status was a significant independent factor associated with vaccine acceptability (aOR 2.70, 95% CI 1.20-6.08). Qualitatively, convenience presented as the no-cost availability of vaccines at the health facilities, whereas non-complacency manifested from the first-hand observed experience of COVID cases, and the need to protect oneself and family members. Confidence was mainly attributed to increased knowledge, resulting from multiple training sessions and trust in regulatory authorities. Other social factors including workplace pressure, religion and misinformation had a role in influencing HCW vaccination decisions. In the background of a pandemic, the 3C model is a strong predictor of vaccine acceptability, and making the vaccines easily available and convenient to HCWs significantly impacts their uptake.

Dobre samopoczucie pracowników i zrównoważony rozwój: negatywna rola stresu zawodowego

This study examines the notion of sustainable development in corporate organizations and argues that businesses’ adoption of systems/standards to support their sustainable development practices improves employee health andwell-being in significant ways. Additionally, the paper analyses the effect of continual or progressive stress that employees face due to their job obligations, circumstances, surroundings, or other workplace pressures and how this affects the organization’s sustainability. Given the growing importance of occupational stress due to technological innovations and global economic progress, it has developed into a worldwide sustainability concern, affecting professionals and all types of employees. Additionally, this study proposes a framework for implementing an integrated management systems (IMS) approach centered on the iterative implementation of sustainable development practices to promote employee health and well-being and minimize workplace demands. Further, the significance of studies exploring the relationship between a company’s sustainable development policies, its employees’ health, and well-being are explored, and future research direction was discussed.

Perceptions Regarding Occupational Health and Safety Attitudes of Hospital Pharmacists in Ambulatory Care in Pakistan

Background: Standards for assessing and monitoring occupational health risks and safety measures for hospital pharmacists have been given prime importance in developed countries. However, occupational health and safety has often been neglected in developing countries. Lack of knowledge, poor training practices and insufficient resources are few of the reasons behind poor occupational health standards.
 Objective: The objective of the study was to assess perceptions regarding occupational health and safety attitudes of hospital pharmacists in ambulatory care in Pakistan.
 Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. The study respondents included hospital pharmacists working in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Sample size was calculated to be 382 to achieve 95% confidence level with 5% margin of error. Convenient sampling technique was used to select respondents. A pre-validated tool Safety Attitudes Questionnaire-Ambulatory Version was used. Data was coded and analyzed using SPSS 21 after collection. Descriptive statistics comprising of frequency and percentages were calculated. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis (p ≥ 0.05) tests were applied according to different demographic variables.
 Results: Significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in perceptions of occupational health and safety attitudes in ambulatory care among respondents of different genders, cities, education level, age groups, experience, setting and salary. Females had poor safety attitudes in ambulatory care as compared to male respondents. Respondents having experience between 1-5 years had poor safety attitude as compared to other respondents. Respondents working in private sector had poor occupational health and safety attitudes as compared to those working in public sector.
 Conclusion: The present study concluded that hospital pharmacists working in ambulatory care had satisfactory occupational health and safety attitudes. Respondents agreed that they had made errors due to workplace pressures and workload. Trainings should be conducted to improve the occupational health and safety attitudes of hospital pharmacists in ambulatory care.

Remote work burnout, professional job stress, and employee emotional exhaustion during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many studies have investigated how organizational support systems, remote work adaptation, and control over scheduling reduced psychological burnout and occupational stress, thus improving employee wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. This systematic literature review has analyzed significant published peer-reviewed evidence concerning how remote employees lacking constant organizational support during the COVID-19 outbreak experienced escalated job demands, professional strain, low satisfaction and performance, and increased burnout. Throughout February 2023, a quantitative literature review covering scholarly databases such as the Web of Science, Scopus, and ProQuest was performed, with the following search terms: "COVID-19" + "remote work burnout," "COVID-19" + "professional job stress," and "COVID-19" + "employee emotional exhaustion." By inspecting research published between 2020 and 2022, a total of 311 articles satisfied the eligibility criteria. Excluding sources in PRISMA terms, 44 empirical sources were finally selected. Methodological quality assessment tools such as Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS), Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), and Systematic Review Data Repository (SRDR) were employed. Data visualization tools (VOSviewer and Dimensions), integrating layout algorithms and bibliometric mapping, were harnessed. The scope of this study does not include how taking breaks and time management in a psychologically safe environment prevented remote work burnout and increased productivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequent analyses should be developed on how remote work time and stress management-by using burnout assessment tools-will result in coherent workplace behaviors and processes, meeting organizational expectations and reducing emotional stress and workplace pressure.

Suicide among nurses: how talking can reduce risk and stigma

With increasing workplace and home pressures on all staff, nurses can support colleagues through open, honest discussions about the difficulties of coping and suicidal ideation

Factors Affecting the General Health of Hospital Nurses in the Decade (2007-2017 in Iran): A Meta-Analysis Study

Background: Nurses constitute a large population of organizational workforce in the field of health. They experience a high level of job stress and workplace pressure. Therefore, paying attention to nurses’ health and reducing burnout, increase productivity, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Relying on meta-analysis method, this study seeks to investigate the factors related to the general health of nurses and measure the effect of each factor.
 Methods: The method of this research is quantitative meta-analysis, which was carried out in the period of 2007-2017 with a sample size of 14 research documents. The statistical population of the study included all the studies conducted in Iran regarding the general health of nurses which have been published in scientific and research journals as IRANDOC, NORMAGS, and SID. The purposive sampling method was based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, as well as considering the validity and reliability of the research. Compliance with validity, reliability and quality of research; the existence of correlation coefficient, sample size and significant level of research has been the criteria for entering the research into the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software version 2.
 Results: In this study, the lack of diffusion bias and homogeneity of the effect size were first confirmed. In terms of bias, most of the studies under review were sub-funnel, indicating no propagation error. Based on the results of the N-error-free test, 253 studies should be performed to question the results of the present study. The results of I2 also indicated that the research in this field was homogeneous. Based on the results of effect size, strengthening communication skills, followed by stress management group therapy, had the greatest role in improving the general health of nurses. Finally, it was found that the average effect size of various factors on the general health of nurses was 0.164.
 Conclusion: It can be concluded that strengthening communication skills among nurses has an important role in improving their general health followed by group therapy. Stress management has the next highest effect size and is one of the most important factors related to improving the health of nurses.

What it is Like to be Single: Experiences of Unmarried Female Professionals in Ghana

Being married is regarded as a significant social and developmental duty. However, the absence of such a connection frequently results in societal stigmatization and marginalization. The study explored the lived experiences of unmarried female professionals in Ghana. The study adopted a qualitative approach and a phenomenological design. Fifteen unmarried female professionals were selected using the snowball sampling technique. Data was accumulated through the use of an interview. The data were analyzed in themes. The study found among other reasons, that attaining a high level of education, setting a high standard in life, fear of being disappointed, and enjoyment of singlehood were reasons why unmarried female professionals remained single. The study again revealed that society made several verbal and nonverbal comments or reactions that stereotyped and discriminated against the lives of single female professionals. Such comments as “when are you getting married?”, “you are old, get married,” husband snatcher,” among others, were found. The results also showed that these stereotypes and discriminatory practices against single female professionals have negative psychological effects, including feelings of unhappiness, anxiety about staying single forever, shyness, and the stress of peer, family, workplace, and community pressure to get married. It was found that single female professionals were dissatisfied with their current marital status. Also, peers, co-workers and family members put pressure on single female professionals to get married. As a result, recommendations were made in light of the study. Keywords: Single, Experiences, Unmarried, Female professionals DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/13-8-05 Publication date: April 30 th 2023

Mental Health of Tourism Employees Post COVID-19 Pandemic: A Test of Antecedents and Moderators.

Many people are experiencing a lack of confidence in the security of their employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly employees in the tourism sector, which has caused adverse effects on their mental health. These adverse effects involve the management of stress, anxiety and depression, that may arise from the demands of the industry. However, few studies have explored how insecurity in the workplace and financial pressure from families affects mental health and can intervene in these relationships. In this study, the aim was to investigate job insecurity as an antecedent of employees' mental health and family financial pressures as a moderator using a sample of 475 hotel and travel industry employees. The theoretical background of the study was built upon the theories of resource conservation and effort-reward imbalance. The participants completed an online survey that measured job insecurity, family financial pressure, depression, anxiety, and stress. The collected data were subjected to PLS-SEM data analysis. The findings of this study reveal that job insecurity had a significant influence on depression, anxiety, and stress among tourism employees, and family financial pressure worsened the negative consequences of job insecurity on mental health. This research highlights the significance of addressing the mental health of employees in the tourism sector after the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the crucial role played by family financial pressures. The findings of this study highlight the importance of addressing job insecurity in the tourism industry and its impact on employees' mental health. This could involve implementing policies and practices that enhance job security, such as providing more stable work schedules, better benefits packages, and greater opportunities for professional development. The results also underscore the need to take into account the role of family financial pressure in moderating the impact of job insecurity on mental health. Practitioners and policymakers in the tourism industry should consider ways to alleviate financial pressure on employees and their families, such as offering assistance programs, flexible work arrangements, and supportive company policies.