Occupational fatigue management in professional nurses at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya hospital

Abstract

      This mixed-methods research aimed: 1) to study occupational fatigue and recovery of professional nurses at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital, 2) to compare occupational fatigue and recovery of professional nurses in different departments, and 3) to explore their management guidelines for occupational fatigue. The subjects were professional nurses at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital, and the sample comprised 2 groups: 1) two hundred and thirty-nine professional nurses from outpatient departments, inpatient departments, and intensive care units who answered questionnaires, and 2) nine professional nurses who were directly experienced in occupational fatigue management and attended a focus group discussion. Research data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, one way analysis of variance (one way ANOVA), and pair-based multiple comparisons, and content analysis.

      The results of this study illustrated as follows: The total average of occupational fatigue and recovery scores were at the moderate level; and the nurses from focus discussion group also revealed physical mental and emotional dimensions of fatigue. Professional nurses who worked for intensive care units had significantly higher overall fatigue but lower recovery than other departments. The occupational fatigue management of professional nurses were divided into 3 levels. (1) The individual level such as adequate sleep, doing activities on holidays, (2) The organizational level, such as creating an occupational fatigue management model, efficient work process arrangement, proper shift scheduling, job morale and motivation enhancement, Finally, 3) the central agency level for example, the government sector should set standard control of tangible occupational fatigue management, proper manpower both nursing and other staffing.

      Suggestion: Healthcare administrators have an important role in supporting and reorganizing the work system in order to reduce fatigue in the professional nurses.