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The world of healthcare is fast-paced and demanding. Nurses are at the forefront delivering compassionate care, advocating for patient rights, and promoting health and wellness. However, they’re also dealing with challenges of nursing practice. I’m talking about burnout, workplace violence, and nursing shortages. This takes a toll on the entire healthcare system. A nurse's well-being is at stake, and it compromises patient safety.
Creating a healthy work environment in hospitals promotes nurse retention, professional satisfaction, and optimal patient outcomes. But do you know what a health work environment looks like for nurses? And do you know what to do when you encounter a toxic one?
The Impact of Burnout, Workplace Violence, and Nursing Shortages
We’ve heard it all before: burnout, workplace violence, and nursing shortages. Are you sick of hearing about it? I know I am, but it’s still here. These issues are causing nurses to leave their facilities in numbers that we’ve never seen before. 18% of new nurses will leave the bedside. Some even become writers.
Healthcare workers are emotionally exhausted. They don’t even feel like themselves. And that effects how they treat their patients. Alarmingly long hours, heavy workloads, and high-stress shifts are to blame. And I get it. Who wants to deal with that? I ended up largely leaving the bedside, too.
Healthcare workers are being verbally and physically assaulted at work. And
being told it’s their fault. Even worse, many don’t know they can pursue charges. It’s helpless to have your nose broken, and not be able to have any repercussions. “It’s just a part of the job” or “You should have noticed their agitation”. How inhumane of us to treat our healthcare workers so callously.
Nurses are leaving the bedside because they deserve better and they’re looking for it. Through no fault of their own, the nursing shortage continues to worsen. The nursing workforce is aging and there are insufficient staffing levels to take care of the high patient acuity healthcare workers are seeing. This causes even higher workloads and jeopardizes patient safety. And again, nurses become more burned out and angry at their job.
Here are some of the classic signs of a toxic workplace environment:
You don’t take your breaks or vacation time
You feel guilty calling out sick
You routinely have to take patients outside your comfort level
You don’t have the supplies, resources, or people to do your job
You can’t find your manager when you need them
You’re paid less than your peers or friends
If this sounds like you, it might be time for a switch.
Key Components of a Healthy Work Environment for Nurses
Not every healthcare facility is “evil” and not every healthcare worker struggles with a toxic environment. My last 2 facilities were, for the most part, amazing. I never felt pressured to take on an assignment outside of my ability level, and the work-life balance was great. I had 4 months off every year, and it wasn’t travel nursing.
But, these roles can be harder to find. And you need to be willing to ditch your current toxic job for a better one. Some people land a job and just want to stay there for the convenience. But when convenience burns you out, it’s time to
leave. Read on to learn about the signs of a fab facility.
Adequate Staffing Levels
Staffing levels are the route of everything. They help keep patients safe, and more importantly: they keep you safe. When you’re short on staff members, you may take more risks. Instead of waiting for a lift, you may lift that heavy patient yourself and throw out your back. Or, you may be stuck with an unsustainable patient load.
Safe staffing levels help prevent burnout and promote job satisfaction. You shouldn’t be running around every single second of your shift. Most other jobs aren’t like that, and it’s not normal for your body to be in a constant state of “fight or flight” all day long. You can develop anxiety and other issues with increased cortisol. Hospitals that prioritize appropriate nurse-patient ratios based on patient acuity, complexity of care, and nursing workload standards are key.
Supportive Leadership
Strong leads help facilitate safe staffing levels, equipment, and whatever else you need to do your job. They also create a positive work culture and minimize any unneeded conflict. Conflict resolution is a major part of a manager’s role, and it helps the facility run cohesively. No one wants to go into work to fight or be bullied. A strong manager will stop these situations.
Strong managers are also strong advocates. They understand what their healthcare workers need, and they get it done. It might mean free food during a shift, letting someone leave a little early, or pulling their sleeves up to help out. Good managers are the backbone of any fab facility.
Safe Work Environment
Every worker, including healthcare workers, need a safe environment according to OSHA. Facilities have a legal responsibility to create a work environment that promotes physical and mental safety. This means no nurse should be assaulted. Hospitals should work on comprehensive violence prevention training. De-escalation and self-defense strategies are important. Security should be present so each nurse is safe.
Opportunities for Professional Growth
Healthcare workers should feel like career advancement is an option for their role. They should have access to continuing education, training, and a path for advancement to promote lifelong learning. Hospitals should invest in nurse development programs, mentorship initiatives, and tuition reimbursement benefits to support nurses.
Employee Wellness Programs
Wellness programs help nurses feel like their health matters. Physical, emotional, and mental health promotes nurse resilience, reduces burnout, and increases job satisfaction. Hospitals should offer stress management workshops, mindfulness meditation sessions, and employee assistance programs. Doing so
can support nurse well-being and prevent occupational stress-related illnesses.
Strategies for Addressing Common Challenges
As a nurse, you should put yourself first. I know we live in a patient-centered world, but that is in regard to the patient's ability to choose and lead their own care. It doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your vacation time, sick time, and daily breaks for your patients. You can’t pour from a cup that’s half full. If your facility isn’t willing to work with you on this, try a career change.
Open Communication
You should be reporting every incident that’s unsafe to your facility. Anytime you're physically or verbally assaulted needs to be on records. Your manager should know if you can’t take a break or if you can’t keep up with a wild caseload. Facilities need to know what the issues are so they have the data to change the issues. Systemic changes need data to back them up. Meaningful solutions always take time.
Promote Work-Life Balance
You should never work a shift you don’t want to do. Never go in on your day off, and don’t pick up the phone, either. Unless you’re being compensated, you’re off the clock. You should be able to clock out without having that “fight or flight” mentality.
Healthcare workers should have access to flexible scheduling options and offer robust paid time off. Your facility should provide resources for childcare, eldercare, and other family-related needs to support you.
Summary
Toxic workplace environments are common in healthcare. We are seeing more and more nurses leave to become writers. And no one can blame them. They don’t want to work with reduced resources, bad managers, limited time off, and inflexible roles. Building a healthy work environment for nurses can promote well-being and enhance patient safety. To do this, nurses need adequate staffing levels, supportive leadership, safe work environments, opportunities for professional growth, and employee wellness programs.
As advocates for patient care and champions of health equity, nurses deserve workplaces that recognize, value, and prioritize their contributions.
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