The Special Stress Situation in Healthcare
Healthcare professions are among the most psychologically stressed occupational groups. Studies show:
- Above-average burnout rates
- High sick leave due to mental illness
- Early career exit by many nurses
- Growing staff shortage worsens the situation
Psychological risk assessment is particularly important here – and particularly challenging.
Specific Stress Factors
1. Staff Shortage and Work Intensification
- Understaffing is the norm
- Constant time pressure
- Covering for sick colleagues
- Little time for individual patients/residents
2. Emotional Strain
- Confrontation with suffering, dying and death
- Emotionally demanding family contacts
- Personal grief when losing patients
- Gap between ideals and reality
3. Shift and Night Work
- Changing work hours stress the biorhythm
- Difficulty maintaining social life
- Sleep disorders
- Increased accident risk
4. Violence and Aggression
- Verbal attacks by patients/residents
- Physical violence (especially in psychiatry, dementia care)
- Attacks by family members
- Risk of traumatization
5. Physical Strain with Psychological Consequences
- Heavy lifting and carrying
- Back pain and its effects
- Fear of occupational disability
Conducting Risk Assessment in Healthcare Facilities
Challenges
- Shift operations: Not all employees reachable at the same time
- Little time: Survey must be short and efficient
- Different qualifications: Different stresses by role
- High turnover: Makes longitudinal comparisons difficult
Practical Recommendations
- Choose longer survey period (at least 3 weeks)
- Enable mobile participation (smartphone)
- Integrate survey into handover times
- Form activity groups by wards/departments
- Include temporary and agency staff
Effective Measures in Healthcare
Structural Prevention (Framework Conditions)
Priority is improving working conditions:
- Improve staffing: Realistic staffing levels, absence management
- Optimize work organization: Clear responsibilities, less documentation burden
- Design shift planning: Forward-rotating shifts, sufficient recovery time
- Violence prevention: De-escalation training, emergency concepts
Behavioral Prevention (Employee Support)
- Offer supervision: Regular reflection on stressful situations
- Psychological counseling: Low-threshold access to support
- Resilience training: Strengthening personal coping strategies
- Debriefing sessions: End-of-life care, critical incidents
Leadership and Culture
- Establish appreciative leadership culture
- Use team meetings for exchange
- Error culture without blame
- Make successes visible
Conclusion
Healthcare faces enormous challenges. A thorough risk assessment can help identify the biggest stress factors and address them systematically. SafeMind offers industry-specific modules for the healthcare sector.
