Soins palliatifs et médecine

Abstrait

Physical load, Stress or Working Conditions as the Most Frequent Reasons for Conflicts in the ICUs ?

Janusz Erenc, Małgorzata Drozd-Garbacewicz , Anna Paprocka-Lipińska , Maria Wujtewicz , Janina Suchorzewska, Marek Olejniczak

Objectives: The conflicts that occur in the ICUs seem to have their sources in the structure of tasks, because their patients have a high risk of systemic complications and mortality. However, the existing workload of medical staff and the assessment of one's own situation may generate further conflicts.

Methods: The analyzed material is the result of a survey conducted among the ICUs staff from 12 hospitals in the Pomeranian Voivodeship (Poland). The surveys were self-filled by the respondents.

Results: The ICUs staff locates the causes of conflicts in organizational factors clearly more often than in the attitudes and activities of the staff. The vast majority refer directly to the frustration associated with low pay. There is a statistically significant difference between the answers of doctors and nurses also. The conflicts resulting from the necessity to make decisions in case of critical condition of patients are rarely observed.

Conclusions: The ICU employees are more strongly affected by the physical workload than by the psychological burden and they also pay attention to the fact that there is not enough staff employed in the units. The burden that they experience is not compensated by financial rewards and the work organization does not support the medical staff in the work they perform.