Page 201 - Petelin, Ana, Nejc Šarabon, Boštjan Žvanut, eds. 2017. Zdravje delovno aktivne populacije ▪︎ Health of the Working-Age Population. Proceedings. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
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Stress of conscience as a risk factor
for burnout among ICU nurses in University
Medical Centre Maribor
Saša Šajn Lekše, Bernarda Lončar, Alenka Žibert, Andrej Starc
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
sasa.sajn.lekse@gmail.com; bernarda.loncar5@gmail.com; ibert.alenka@gmail.com;
andrej.starc@zf.uni-lj.si
Abstract
Introduction: A nurse’s conscience is an important factor in clinical
decision-making. Conscience can be clean or troubled; it can warn,
encourage or judge. A troubled conscience appears when a person
neglects the voice of their own conscience. When related to the quality
of the provided service, a troubled conscience can cause stress. Work
related stress is defined by endogenous and exogenous factors: the
presence of various environmental stressors and the individual’s
coping ability. A prolonged period of exposure to stressful situations
may lead to occupational burnout. Burnout is a state of physical and
emotional exhaustion originating in an individual’s internal processes,
but triggered by external burden. Individuals with burnout syndrome
exhibit symptoms of depression, anxiety and depersonalisation. Method:
A descriptive method was used. A literature search was performed
between March and June 2017 in databases CINAHL with full text and
MEDLINE. Results: Stress of Conscience Questionnaire appears to be
a valid instrument for measuring the stress of conscience in various
situations in healthcare. The questionnaire has already been translated
into Slovene language and will be applied in a future research within the
intensive care units of UKC Maribor. Discussion: A troubled conscience
can cause burnout symptoms, especially in intensive care units where
patients are monitored constantly by highly trained professional teams.
Key words: workplace stress, occupational burnout, intensive care
nursing, mental health, nurse.
Nurses perform effective professional decision making every day. Not
only professional expertise affects their decisions, but also their atti-
tudes, values, personality and constraints of healthcare organisation.
And yet, sometimes there are adverse consequences. If the outcome is unfortu-
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7023-32-9.199-207
for burnout among ICU nurses in University
Medical Centre Maribor
Saša Šajn Lekše, Bernarda Lončar, Alenka Žibert, Andrej Starc
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Zdravstvena pot 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
sasa.sajn.lekse@gmail.com; bernarda.loncar5@gmail.com; ibert.alenka@gmail.com;
andrej.starc@zf.uni-lj.si
Abstract
Introduction: A nurse’s conscience is an important factor in clinical
decision-making. Conscience can be clean or troubled; it can warn,
encourage or judge. A troubled conscience appears when a person
neglects the voice of their own conscience. When related to the quality
of the provided service, a troubled conscience can cause stress. Work
related stress is defined by endogenous and exogenous factors: the
presence of various environmental stressors and the individual’s
coping ability. A prolonged period of exposure to stressful situations
may lead to occupational burnout. Burnout is a state of physical and
emotional exhaustion originating in an individual’s internal processes,
but triggered by external burden. Individuals with burnout syndrome
exhibit symptoms of depression, anxiety and depersonalisation. Method:
A descriptive method was used. A literature search was performed
between March and June 2017 in databases CINAHL with full text and
MEDLINE. Results: Stress of Conscience Questionnaire appears to be
a valid instrument for measuring the stress of conscience in various
situations in healthcare. The questionnaire has already been translated
into Slovene language and will be applied in a future research within the
intensive care units of UKC Maribor. Discussion: A troubled conscience
can cause burnout symptoms, especially in intensive care units where
patients are monitored constantly by highly trained professional teams.
Key words: workplace stress, occupational burnout, intensive care
nursing, mental health, nurse.
Nurses perform effective professional decision making every day. Not
only professional expertise affects their decisions, but also their atti-
tudes, values, personality and constraints of healthcare organisation.
And yet, sometimes there are adverse consequences. If the outcome is unfortu-
doi: https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7023-32-9.199-207
