Effects of Work related Stress and Alcoholism
Work related stress has both emotional and physical symptoms such as fatigue
and anxiety-related disorders. Along with increases in alcohol consumption, outward
displays of anger by alcohol-affected nurses within their work environment, is linked to
the poor physical and psychological wellbeing of the nurse. Han, Won, Kim and Lee
(2015) point out that this can detrimentally impinge upon the nurses’ productivity and
delivery of quality patient care. Interviews with patients from 13 psychiatric wards
suggest that patients acknowledge that nursing is a difficult role to undertake, although
they report that nurses repeatedly expressed anger and negativity relating to their role
whilst at work (Stewart et al., 2015). Feelings of anger are not related to any one practice
area; rather lack of support from other nurses within the same practice area, or other
members of the multidisciplinary team can fuel feelings of anger, which can range from a
slight irritation or harshness, through to an intense verbal outburst, demonstrating a stress
response rather than a personal attack on the recipient (Booth, 2010).
The needs to feel valued, listened to, trusted, in control, and appreciated, along
with a sense of pride, belonging, having a purpose, and in some cases perfectionism are
all examples of internal demands that nurses globally report (Claxton, 2014). As
perceptions are an individual concept; the values, beliefs and assumptions the nurses hold
intertwine with the activities they perform in their daily lives, including their values,
beliefs, assumptions, and past experiences (Ribeiro, 2014). When a person perceives that
the psychological or physical demands of their jobs are too great, coping strategies are
initiated to maintain a state of wellbeing (Goodnite, 2014).
Ineffective or prolonged activation of an individual’s coping strategies will
inevitably result in increased stress and ill-health for the individual, resulting in increased
absenteeism for the organization, and the subsequent increase in external demands such
as increased workloads and stress being experienced by the remaining
nurses as they struggle to complete all the required tasks with a decreased number of staff
members (Dawson, Stasa, Roche, Homer, & Duffield, 2014; Stodart, 2015).
The extreme denial that work related stress and alcohol use can cause severe
problems that lie at the root of the training students’ nurses’ binge-drinking crisis
(Carrigan, 2013). Once the student’s nurses have established an overindulge drinking
habit, they do not want to believe that something that helps them forget their
responsibilities could be harmful (Cairney, Kwan, Veldhuizen & Faulkner, 2014). The
denial of the harm inherent in binge drinking stems from student’s nurse’s anxiety to
admit drinking creates difficulties, rather than eliminates problems.
A link between workplace stressors, poor staff morale and lack of power or
powerlessness has been observed in a study of 50 nurses practicing within the
Metropolitan and rural hospitals of developing countries. This was in part due to the
perceived lack of control the nurse held in relation to rosters, patient load and support
from senior staff (Bakker, 2012). The literature supports this view, and suggests that
empowered staff are highly motivated and productive (Brown et al., 2013). It was also
apparent that nursing staff perceived powerlessness as a result of patients having greater
access to information from the internet relating to conditions and care options, which led
to frustration at not being able to meet the patient’s expectations or demands (Bakker,
2012)
Although the importance of individual differences cannot be ignored, scientific
evidence suggests that certain working conditions are stressful to most people. The
excessive workload demands and conflicting expectations are good examples. Such
evidence argues for a greater emphasis on working conditions as the
key source of job stress, and for job redesign as a primary prevention strategy, (Bachman,
2013).
According to Masomboka (2014) argues that all of the stress-strain-health
relationships have an obvious impact on the organization and industry. Both physical,
emotional and mental illness renders the employee unfit for work, and combine both to
lessen the satisfaction obtained from work and reduce job performance and productivity
levels. There are various ways that stress symptoms or outcomes are reflected in the
workplace (Singh & Kohli, 2015). Evidence from a growing body of research suggests
that certain individuals, in a variety of occupations, are increasingly exposed to
unacceptable levels of job-related stress.
The views supported by Shivaprasad (2013) indicated occupational stress causes
mental discomfort which is felt and perceived at a personal level and triggered by
instances, events or situations that are too intense and frequent in nature so as to exceed a
person's coping capabilities and resources to handle them adequately. A number of
reviews such as Shirley, Ebright and McDaniel (2013) of occupational mental health
have highlighted the importance of understanding stress and burnout relationship for the
well-being of the employees and employing organization.
Examining the Relationship between Stress and Alcoholism among student Nurses
According to Margolis, (2012), the elevated rates of stress, alcohol consumption
and alcohol abuse have raised concern with student nurse’s excessive drinking patterns
and the serious consequences associated with alcohol use which is stress (Hischorn,
2012; Quindlen, 2013). A study by Leonard & Senchak (2014)
suggests that during the past two decades, rates of frequent heavy drinking and stress
have shifted little among student’s nurses in practicum training (Johnston et al., 2014).
However, other studies suggest that alcohol abuse and stress has increased among
student’s nurses in training (Rapport, Cooper, & Leemaster, 2015). The increase has
occurred despite increase in training programs about the health hazards of stress and
alcohol abuse (Wechsler et al., 2014).
In the USA, higher levels of stress reported across the 2nd, 3rd and the 5th year’s
student nurses in internship lack help and support in the health institutions. Gardner,
(2013) has demonstrated that stress-management support programs play a positive role in
reducing the psychological distress and alcohol of student nurses in their internship in the
hospital in order to establish a helpful stress-management strategy to enhance and
improve the student nurse’s well-being and academic skills.
The primary aim of medical practicum training programmes is to produce
knowledgeable, skilful, competent and professional graduates who will render
comprehensive healthcare services within their community or to the society at large. In
South Africa a number of stress and alcohol factors were found in a large cohort of 528
students nurses in their practicum training (years 1–5) in Cape Town, with females
reporting equal or more stress to alcohol than males (Masomboka, 2014). Academic and
practicum training factors were the main causes of stress in student’s nurses across all
five years of the curriculum in this study, followed by personal issues.
In Kenya however, it has been reported that increase work related stress and
alcoholism among the student’s nurses in internship is high and that it threatens the
well being of the student’s nurse’s cognition, emotionally and psychologically (Odek-
Ogunde & Pande-Leak, 2012). NACADA, (2012) has placed a policy on the use of
Alcohol and substance use among the Students nurses in order to prevent them from
accessing alcohol at their own convenience.
