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Background: Little is known about the health and well-being of U.S. correctional nurses. To protect correctional nurses, a better understanding of organizational characteristics, job stress, and well-being must be undertaken. Method: A cross-sectional design was used in the form of an online survey. Correctional nurses were conveniently recruited using national listservs and snowball sampling. Variables were measured with the Health & Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool, Nurse Wellbeing Index, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analyses of variance. Findings: Two hundred seventy participants (142 registered nurses, 83 licensed practical nurses/licensed vocational nurses, and 42 advanced practice nurses) completed the survey. Job stress scored moderate (M = 16.26, SD = 7.14), and well-being levels were just below the risk for adverse events (M = 1.8, SD = 3.06). Lower scores were noted for managerial support (M = 3.13, SD = 0.35) and job demands (M = 3.56, SD = 0.92), but slightly better for job control (M = 3.57, SD = 0.77), peer support (M = 3.85, SD = 0.64), and workplace relationships (M = 3.73, SD = 0.95). Conclusions: Significant differences between organizational characteristics, job stress, and well-being were found across nursing licensure, workplace environments, biological sex, and employment through state or private agencies. Registered nurses working in U.S. prisons experienced the highest job stress and worse well-being. Application to Practice: This work is an essential next step in promoting healthy workspaces, urging the need for further research establishing the impact of organizational characteristics and job stress on nurse well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Teachers have had to deal with many of the negative aspects of COVID-19 over the past year. The demands associated with the sudden requirement to teach remotely, and later having to manage hybrid (both in person and online) learning may be having adverse effects on the mental and physical health of teachers. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether COVID-19 continued to impact teacher stress, burnout, and well-being a year into the pandemic. METHODS: An online survey was sent out to 5300 teachers in public and private schools, and 703 completed the survey. RESULTS: Stress and burnout continue to be high for teachers, with 72% of teachers feeling very or extremely stressed, and 57% feel very or extremely burned out. Many teachers struggled to have a satisfactory work-family balance (37% never or almost never; 20% only has sometimes). CONCLUSION: School systems must start to deal with the mental and physical health of teachers before a large number of them leave the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Nearly all workers and industry sectors have been affected by the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in some form since March 2020. However, the pandemic-related stressors experienced in the workplace may vary from industry to industry and may have disproportionally affected some workers. This study investigates increased stress levels, stressor events, and other perceptions of stress from at-risk workers during COVID-19. Methods An in-depth work-related stress survey that incorporated many aspects of work, life, work-life balance, and the health of employer-employee relationships was developed with a focus on COVID-19-related stressors. The cross-sectional survey was distributed online through professional networks from October to November 2021. The survey results were statically analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) after grouping the industry sectors into the four groups to determine trends within these groupings. Results The survey was completed by 670 workers in sectors such as manual labor, business/office service, healthcare, and education. A variety of trends were determined between the occurrence of COVID-19 and work stress which had, in some cases, affected some industry sectors to a larger degree than others. More than 50% of the participants reported experiencing an increased workload since the onset of the pandemic with some sectors, like healthcare, reporting an increased workload more frequently at 80%. Around 55% of respondents believed they could be exposed to COVID-19 in their workplace, ranging from 52% of business/office service workers to 77% of healthcare workers. Conclusions As workplaces navigate past the pandemic, occupational stress should be addressed head-on through workplaces providing expanded resources so as to assure work stress associated with future pandemics are mitigated appropriately. Whether the stressor is associated with irregular shift work or psychosocial aspects (i.e. relying on coworkers), many of these stressors have the possibility to become exacerbated by external factors such as pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Despite a rise in automation, workers in the petroleum refining and petrochemical manufacturing industry are potentially exposed to various chemicals through inhalation while performing routine job duties. Many factors contribute to the degree of exposure experienced in this setting. The study objective was to characterize the impact of workplace conditions, anthropometric variability, and task orientation on exposure for a simulated routine operations task. Methods A chemical exposure laboratory simulation study was designed to evaluate the dependent variable of chemical exposure level in the breathing zone for methane and sulfur hexafluoride. The independent variables were (i) posture of the worker, (ii) worker anthropometry, (iii) process configuration, and (iv) gas density. Results Pipe height was a significant predictor of gas concentration measured in the breathing zone when located in a position that encouraged the gas to enter the breathing zone of the worker. Worker anthropometry had a major impact; tall worker's (male) chemical concentrations exceeded those of the short worker (female) for methane simulations but the opposite resulted for sulfur hexafluoride. Also, worker posture had a significant impact on gas exposure where nonneutral postures were found to have higher levels of chemical concentration. Conclusions The study findings indicate that the breathing zone location is altered by posture and worker height, which changes the exposures relative to the emission source depending on the gas density of the chemicals that are present. As a result, qualitative risk assessment cannot be performed accurately without accounting for these factors. Practically, controls may need to account for worker size differences and posture adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected societal norms and shifted much of the workforce in the United States to a virtual landscape. Working and learning from home (or "remotely") has become common in nearly every field, including higher level education. Each institution has implemented policies regarding remote work, and with the different policies educators are confronted with different conditions which affect their perceived level of stress and quality of working life. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to examine how the transition to working from home contributes to work-related stress and perceived quality of life among postsecondary educators during the first year of COVID-19 related institutional working policies. METHOD: The study used a cross-sectional survey design. The survey was distributed online using email and social media to 1,575 postsecondary teachers in all four regions of the United States between February and March 2021. The survey collected demographic and institutional policy information related to remote work, in addition to the Work-Related Quality of Life Survey which gathers data on indicators of general well-being, job satisfaction, perceived control at work, perceived stress at work, working conditions, and work-life balance. RESULTS: Data was analyzed from 222 (14% response rate) respondents; 49% worked remotely full-time, 47% worked on a hybrid schedule (part-time remote, part-time on campus), and 4% were on campus full-time. The findings suggest that postsecondary teachers who worked in a hybrid program throughout 2020 felt they had more control at work and a higher overall quality of working life, while those who worked remote only or on-campus only felt more stress at work. The results also suggest that less time spent working from home contributes to higher stress and the perception of decreased control at work. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the survey results, remote working policies in higher education institutions have an impact on work-related quality of life and stress felt by their faculty. These findings can be used to guide the implementation of work-from-home or return-to-campus policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Emergency personnel operate in environments that put them at higher risk of injury to the musculoskeletal system. These injuries result in lost workdays, medical costs, and decreased productivity, all which impact emergency response systems. OBJECTIVE: This study serves to assess the causes, costs, and disability of common work-related musculoskeletal injuries within the police, emergency medical service (EMS) workers, and firefighters of Ohio based on data from the OBWC (Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation). METHODS: Our dataset included all OBWC injury claims involving a shoulder, low back, or knee from 2010 through 2014. Police and Firefighter leaders were analyzed separately from those not in a leadership role, and workers with combined Firefighter/EMS roles were analyzed separately from "pure" Firefighters and EMS personnel. Data were organized through univariate analysis of variance with post-hoc Tukey tests and analyzed based on the job of the individual and whether the individual was in a leadership role. RESULTS: Police Officers had the highest number of total injuries in the dataset, followed by Firefighters and Firefighters/EMS workers. Police Officers and Firefighters injured their back and knees more often than their shoulders, while EMS workers injured their backs and shoulders more often than their knees. CONCLUSIONS: The mechanisms through which injuries occur are also dependent on the job. Police officers experienced a higher percentage of motor vehicle related back problems, while firefighters had a higher percentage of injuries from overexertion. Musculoskeletal injury claims in these emergency personnel resulted in opioid prescriptions approximately 10%of the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patient migration, or the amount of movement toward the foot of the bed, has been shown to significantly vary because of the mechanical design differences in hospital beds. Previously, the amount of migration was measured immediately following head-of-bed articulation in healthy subjects. This study not only evaluates how much migration occurs immediately after head-of-bed articulation but also measures additional migration during a standard 2-hour repositioning period in subjects with limited mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Excessive exposure to noise places nurses at risk for safety events, near-misses, decreased job performance, and fatigue. Noise is particularly a concern in pediatric intensive care units, where highly skilled providers and vulnerable patients require a quiet environment to promote healing. Objective To measure noise levels and noise duration on specialty pediatric intensive care units to explore sources of noise and its effects on the health of registered nurses. Methods In a cross-sectional pilot study, levels and sources of noise in 3 different specialty pediatric intensive care units were assessed. Fifteen nurses were observed for 4-hour sessions during a 24-hour period. Sound pressure levels (noise) and heart rate were measured continuously, and stress ratings were recorded. Descriptive statistics were calculated for noise (level, source, location, and activity), heart rate, and stress. The Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to analyze the relationship between heart rate and noise. Results Mean noise level was 71.9 (SD, 9.2) dBA. Mean heart rate was 85.2/min (SD, 15.8/min) and was significantly associated with noise, unit, within-unit location, nurse sources, and noise activities. The most frequent sources of noise were patients' rooms, care activities, and staff communications. Conclusions Noise levels in pediatric intensive care units exceed recommended thresholds and require immediate attention through effective interventions. Although noise was not associated with stress, a significant correlation with increased heart rate indicates that noise may be associated with adverse health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The study investigated the status of acute fatigue, chronic fatigue and inter-shift recovery among 12-hour shift nurses and how they differed by organisational and individual factors. Background While the 12-hour shift has been a widely accepted staffing solution in hospitals, the fatigue-recovery process in nurses working 12-hour shifts remains unclear. Methods A cross-sectional survey was completed by 130 full-time nurses working 12-hour dayshifts in three hospitals to assess the perceived levels of acute fatigue, chronic fatigue and inter-shift recovery, as well as their associations with selected organisational and individual factors. Results Nurses experienced a moderate to high level of acute fatigue and moderate levels of chronic fatigue and inter-shift recovery. Fatigue and recovery levels differed by the interaction between hospital and unit after controlling for individual factors. Lack of regular exercise and older age were associated with higher acute fatigue. Conclusions An unhealthy fatigue-recovery process was found for nurses working a 12-hour shift during the day. Implications for nursing management There appears to be a need to establish fatigue intervention programmes for 12-hour shift nurses in hospitals. Hospital administration, unit managers and staff nurses need to collaborate to achieve a healthy fatigue-recovery balance when implementing 12-hour shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identified the nursing work activities that could be the primary sources of work-related acute fatigue in US hospital nurses. Continuous recording of working heart rate and random observations of nursing activities were applied to collect data from eight nurses during two consecutive 12 h day shifts. Using descriptive statistics and random-effect analysis of variance, the contributions of individual nursing work activities to acute fatigue were compared based on the activity frequencies and nurses' corresponding heart rate elevations. Of 860 observed nursing-related work activities, manual patient-handling, bedside-care, care-coordinating, and walking/standing activities accounted for 5%, 16%, 38%, and 41%, respectively. After controlling for the differences of participant and shift, the percentage of working heart rate to maximal heart rate of manual patient-handling (64.3%), bedside-care (59.7%), and walking/standing (57.4%) activities were significantly higher than that of care-coordinating activities (52.3%, F[3, 38.0] = 7.5, P < 0.001). These findings suggest that bedside care and walking/standing, other than manual patient handling, contributed most to the level of acute fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

, ., ., . (2011) Journal of Nursing Management 57-68 The aim was to determine whether hospital nurses are experiencing physiological strain at work by examining their physiological and behavioural response patterns over 12-hour shifts. Excessive workload for nurses may lead to poor quality of care and high nursing turnover rates. Energy expenditure (EE), heart rate (HR) and work pace (WP) can be used to examine the physiological impact from the workload. A total of 145 nurses wore monitors for one 12-hour day shift to record HR and WP, which were used to calculate EE. Individual and work-related factors were assessed through questionnaires and work logs. Energy expenditure accumulated over the 12 hours reached the EE level of 8-hour shifts in which individuals work at a moderate physical intensity level. The HR data indicated a moderate cardiac stress level throughout the shifts, despite which WP decreased after 15.00 hours. Inadequate work break and sleep, family care-giving responsibility and aging may challenge work recovery. Nursing workload of 12-hour shifts has a negative physiological impact on hospital nurses. Nurse managers need to be aware of the physiological strain experienced by staff nurses, and focus on ensuring sufficient breaks and proper work accommodations for older nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine if lifting random unknown weights is more detrimental than lifting sequences of unknown weights and to investigate whether load knowledge impacts the effect of lifting random box weights.Background: Much research has investigated lifting under known load conditions, but few studies have investigated unknown loads, especially when presented in random order. There has been some documentation of alteration in trunk mechanics when there is an overestimation of the unknown load.Method: Ten men and 10 women performed three lifting tasks: random unknown, random known, and same weight. A lumbar motion monitor was used to collect kinematic data, and Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and a task risk rating were also assessed.Results: Both presentation order and load knowledge impacted trunk kinematics during repeated lifting tasks. However, these differences were relatively low in magnitude. Furthermore, kinematic response and perceived risk and exertion for these conditions varied between genders.Conclusion: Lifting random unknown loads appears to alter kinematic responses, particularly for men. Women attempt to modify the effect of random unknown loads by changing the lifting style through alterations in upper limb motions (e.g., drag box toward them prior to lifting). However, a need remains for a more comprehensive biomechanical investigation (e.g., spine loading) into the effects of random unknown loads because many of the effect sizes were small.Application: Small kinematic adaptations resulting from tasks involving unknown and random loads may be mediated by the use of visual cues, order of presentation, or a change in lifting style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]