Nursing has always been an extremely prestigious profession to be in since it mainly entails saving lives. However, the profession doesn’t have all things going smoothly. Nurses have been facing challenges in their job since the very beginning. From working overtime to bullying and harassment, there have been many changes in the challenges that nurses have to face on a daily basis. However, over time, the situation has improved gradually. Nurses now have gained a lot of respect in society, and their job is deemed to be very trusted and difficult as they take care of us and help with emotional support. They juggle with several patients at the same time and go through many different scenarios. Here are some challenges that nurses face daily.
- Long Working Hours
Long hours have been a constant challenge that nurses have been facing for over a very long time now. Nursing itself is a highly demanding job and requires working overtime if needed. Nurses even have to work round the clock and look after patients that are in their recovery stage. They also work 12-hour shifts, and 40 hours of work per week is a common occurrence for nurses. Overworking leaves nurses stressed and exhausted and increases the chances of medical mistakes by nurses. An around-the-clock job such as nursing makes it very difficult to spare time for family.
Registering in relevant nursing programs can be very helpful as this will provide sufficient information about what this profession is like and its requirements. After a day of seeing patients and working for a long number of hours, devoting attention to friends and family becomes very hard, and one gets little or no time for self-care. Because of having such busy schedules, they often do not even have the time to use the restroom or eat lunch. Nurses also have to face shift cancellations resulting in major inconvenience. They are also sometimes notified at the last moment that their shift has been canceled due to any reason, affecting their plans and expectations of work.
- Workplace Hazards
Hospitals can be very hazardous at times. Nurses put themselves at risk every day for their patients as they are exposed to flu germs and other forms of bacteria and viruses. Nurses work in a hazardous environment with sick people, and hence, the probability of them contracting an infectious disease is much higher than the general population. Such high exposure to illnesses also makes them develop a strong resistance to many diseases, but there is still a chance of them contracting any illness that does not have any cure or vaccine. Nurses put themselves in danger daily. Especially ever since the covid-19 pandemic took the world by storm, many nurses risked their lives by being in the same environment as the patients who had contracted the virus and took care of them. Some nurses also lost their lives by providing services to critical patients during this time.
- Bullying And Harassment
Nurses are also exposed to all types of workplace harassment, like every other profession. Nurses might face physical and verbal abuse by patients and also other medical staff colleagues. This includes stalking, making uncomfortable conversations, gossiping, taking credit for others’ work, feuding, and much more. All of this leads to a major decline in productivity and job satisfaction. Senior nurses might not always be very welcoming with the new ones and might become querulous with the new ones. Research has shown that 71 percent of nurses have experienced harassment by patients. Bullying and harassment are one of the most dangerous challenges of nursing as nurses interact with many different types of people daily and have many stories to tell. Though nurses worldwide are prone to bullying and harassment, they must stand up against bullies and demand respectful behavior that they and their job deserves.
- Shortage Of Nurses
Being short-staffed for a certain period of time is common in many professions but is very hazardous in the nursing field. Other professions might consider this a minor inconvenience, but nursing is not the case. Research has shown that the number of nurses quitting the industry each year has increased from approximately 40,000 in 2010 to nearly 80,000 by 2020. A continuous shortage of nurses is a great challenge that the nursing field is facing. This shortage increases the burden and workload of the remaining nurses. Hospitals face a great shortage of staff and an increase in patients. Because of this higher patient-nurse ratio, nurses cannot devote their time equally between patients, developing a feeling of guilt in them. This leaves them feeling mentally and emotionally drained as they are unable to provide sufficient care to each patient and have to rush to the other one. All of this has led to nurses feeling demotivated and has decreased their productivity level.
- Technology
The new technological advancement has made nursing more manageable and less stressful. However, with technological advancements comes learning, which not everyone is good with. Though technological advancements save time and help reduce errors, they also require learning and adaptation. Veteran nurses who do things the old way and lack technological skills are often intimidated by these advancements. This has led to veteran nurses opting for early retirement. Some countries such as Japan, Thailand, and Belgium have come up with nursing robots that help look out for elderly patients, deliver food and pills to patients, and help train nursing students.
Nursing requires a lot of determination and hard work. It is better for nurses who face any of these challenges to speak to their peers about it. This will make them realize that they are not alone, increasing their level of motivation. In addition to this, nurses should also prioritize themselves. They should take care of themselves first to perform better. They need to take measures and safety protocols to protect themselves from workplace hazards and the other challenges listed above. This will allow them to perform better and take better care of their patients too.
