Workplace Stress: How DSM Employers Can Learn from Nurses

Everyone experiences stress in the workplace — even in Niceville, USA — but perhaps no one experiences quite the same level of workplace stress as nurses. Nearly two-thirds of nurses admit to experiencing “a great deal of stress because of their job,” and more than half are actively experiencing burnout, which can have severe mental and physical ramifications.

Yet, despite the high stress levels, Greater Des Moines (DSM) nurses continue to get their work done. In fact, a Des Moines hospital was recognized as the best in the country by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. How do the region’s premier nursing staff and their employers manage the high-stress environment of their workplace and deliver such world-class care? Read on to find out.

Identifying Causes of Workplace Stress

While Iowa nurses earn well and enjoy a low cost of living, their careers come with a lot of stress. Nurses face all sorts of immense workplace challenges, from the physical effort required to move patients and equipment to the emotional struggle to confront disease and death every day. Nurses must be expert communicators, working alongside all manner of specialized healthcare professionals and a variety of patients. Often, a nurse’s social life is entangled with their work life, making work-life balance more difficult to achieve.

It might be useful for employers to work with employees to identify the potential causes of stress in the workplace. Both inside and outside healthcare settings, stress can arise from perceived dangers in the physical work environment as well as a lack of support from management or coworkers. Staff might also note increased stress due to heavy workloads, long shifts, or insecurity in their roles. Identifying the primary causes of workplace stress is the first and most necessary step to addressing and mitigating that stress in the workforce.

Recognizing Symptoms of High Workplace Stress

Even with so many potential workplace stress causes, most nurses can maintain a high level of performance. This may be because nurses are more adept at recognizing the symptoms of stress and taking steps to prevent them from impacting their productivity.

Prolonged periods of work-related stress have significant health consequences, so it is important for nurses and other workers to know how to identify stress in its earliest symptoms. Though stress affects different people in different ways, some common symptoms of high workplace stress include:

• Aching eyes;
• Continuous fatigue;
• Problems sleeping;
• Digestive trouble;
• Persistent sweating;
• Sudden weight gain or loss;
• Difficulty breathing.

Their experience in healthcare might make nurses more aware of their physical well-being, which can clue them into the need for stress mitigation. Leaders in non-healthcare workplace environments might help educate their workforce about the effects of stress and encourage workers to intervene if they notice similar symptoms in themselves.

Taking Steps to Combat Workplace Stress

Some nurses can control their stress levels by modifying their own attitudes and behavior in meaningful ways, and some are diligent about eating well and exercising. Nurses also tend to manage their stress through effective communication with coworkers, which can help reduce conflict and eliminate new and unnecessary sources of stress.

Leaders in other industries might develop programs to help their workers adopt similar strategies for stress management. Workplace wellness programs can teach employees the importance of diet and exercise, therapy and other wellness measures in mitigating the effects of stress. DSM is full of pristine prairies and unforgettable nature trails — nurses can and should take advantage of such beauty through hiking and cycling. Leaders and supervisors should encourage staff to get out there and explore whenever possible to promote their mental health while keeping them active.

Even those who love what they do will worry about meeting deadlines, communicating with customers, collaborating with coworkers and balancing their jobs with their responsibilities at home. It is the responsibility of leaders to employ compassionate leadership to mitigate workplace stress and help employees achieve the optimal balance of contentment and productivity at work. By examining the most highly stressed workplaces and copying how workers in those spaces handle stress, workplaces across DSM can mitigate stress and achieve their goals.

Job opportunities and career resources are abundant in Greater Des Moines (DSM). Whether you're looking to find an internship, a job, develop professionally or grow as a student, we have the resources to help you thrive.