Occupational Health Management Plan

This document focuses on developing an occupational health management plan for work related stress among health care workers in an aged care sector. It includes an analysis of risk hazards, interventions, and the role of individual and organizational approaches in mitigating stress at the workplace.

Occupational Health Management Plan
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Student Name
Student ID
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Executive Summary
The paper had focused on an occupational health management plan for work
related stress among health care workers working in an aged care sector. The
papers has provided an analysis of the risk hazards due to excessive work
load and less number of health care workers. After the risk assessment, a
planning has been done chalk out the interventions. The paper had
emphasised on the role of both individual and organisational approaches in
mitigating stress at the workplace.
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Contents
Executive Summary....................................................................................................ii
Industry or organisation name....................................................................................2
An introduction............................................................................................................2
Definitions...................................................................................................................3
Workplace demography..............................................................................................3
Assessment of risk......................................................................................................3
Critical review of relevant literature.............................................................................5
Management Plan.......................................................................................................6
Evaluation...................................................................................................................8
Conclusion.................................................................................................................. 9
References............................................................................................................... 10
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Industry or organisation name
The risk management plan will be made for ‘X” aged care centre for mitigating
the ill effects of the work related stresses among the caregivers and other
health care workers.
An introduction
The caregivers working in the aged care settings have reported to
suffer from chronic stressors and they suffer from negative psychosomatic,
behavioural and psychological effects on their health and the daily lives. They
are subjected to occupational strain and burnout (Karantzas et al., 2016). The
level of burden upon the caregivers of the heath care workers is more than
the burden experienced by those people taking care of an elderly, without any
terminal illness (Karantzas et al., 2016). The level of the care required by the
recipient influences the health and the life of the caregivers.
Caregiving is labour intensive. Approximately one quarter of those people
caring for the terminally ill patients, who spends more than 40 hours in a week
and provides services to the friends and families.
The aged care home can accommodate as many as 25 residents with 4-5
health care workers, excluding the registered nurses and 2 general
practitioner.
One of important risks that has been identified is the low ratio of the health
care workers that causes work related stress. The heavy burden of diseases
amongst the residents causes psychological trauma among the health care
workers working in the aged care setting.
The aims and the objectives of the review is to assess the risk of
psychological distress occurring among the health care workers working in
aged care settings, due to work related stress.
Definitions
Occupational stress of work related stress is the types of stress that is
related to the occupation of a person. Symptoms might include depression,
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excessive workload, depression and anxiety, sleep difficulties, poor service,
medical errors.
Workplace demography
“X” is an aged care sector that provides arrange of care options and
accommodation to the older people who are unable to continue living in their
own house .The type of car provides an array of personal care to assist with
the activities of the living through to nursing care on a 24 hours basis.
The care home provides 24 hours care by the registered nurses supported by
a dedicated team of enrolled nurse.
The care home also have the expertise to assist with the complex care
requirement and would always discuss the care with the family.
The aged care home has accommodation for 25 aged residents. Aged care
home is a two storeyed with an adjoining ground at the front of the building.
Assessment of risk
Risks arising from the hazards –
 Some of the primary challenges arising out of the hazard is greater
absenteeism, behavioural causing injury and workers complaining about
the injury. Work related stresses might lead to cardiovascular and
musculoskeletal injury. Work relates stresses causes burnout among the
health care worker that might cause work related mistakes like medication
errors or deterioration of the quality of services, unnecessary crowding in
the aged care (Persechino et al., 2013). Excessive stress at the
workplace increases the chance of chronic diseases like diabetes, PTSD.
Assessment of the work related stress at the workplace:-
 Development of a cumulative committee. Work relate stresses should be
weighed by the employers in partnership with OSH specialists and the
workers.
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 A preliminary assessment will be made by analysing the objective risk
indicators related to work related to the occurrence of the sentinel events
and the work content factors. At this stage the OSH professional can use
the checklist, calling in the employees
 Deeper assessment- This assessment will involve a rigorous assessment
focussing on the homogenous group of workers found in the initial
evaluation to have been exposed to work related stress. In this the
perception of the workers related to the work are assessed. Tools like
questionaries, focus groups or interviews can be used for assessing the
perception of the workers (Persechino et al., 2013).
 There are several indicators that can be used such as the work related
injuries, sick leave , unused vacations, job rotation, job turnover,
disciplinary measures , requests for extra medical follow-ups, work related
stress notifications.
 A benchmarking analysis in a detailed form, is required on work-related
stress management.
 A checklist is developed in the preliminary assessment phase and it is
done under the headings like 1)Sentinel events 2) Work content factors
 Different types of models can be analysed. Pilot study can be conducted
by using questionnaires. After the data collection process, indicators tools
can be used for the confirmatory factor analysis (Clarke, 2015).
 In the preliminary assessment phase , checklists are developed for the
identification of work related job stress in an organisation,
Legal requirements and ethical considerations
Consent should be taken from the employees before the conduction of the
interviews or the surveys. There are normally no specific legislation regarding
stress (Persechino et al., 2013). However, a working environment that is safe
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and without risks to health. The occupational Health and the Safety Act 2004,
instructs that a workplace e should be safe and without risks to health. A
working environment where stress levels does not present a risk of the illness
of injury or illness as the part of the requirement. The employees must be able
to provide a safe plan, a safe systems of work, training and supervision.
Changes are required in order to disseminate the workload among the
health care workers. More recruitment of the health care workers are required.
Policies should focus on the ratio of workers and recruitment of new staffs and
training.
Critical review of relevant literature
According to (Marcatto et al., (2016) analysis of the risk factors at work
involves the consequent formation and the execution of the tailored
interventions against work stress. The DISCOVERY method is an approach
that has been developed by De Jonge and colleagues. They have used a
theoretical framework for identifying the risk factors and the risk group at
works .The model generally comprise of three component like the job
demands, job resources and the concept of recovery - “detachment from the
work”. Prior studies have shown that empirical support for the employees as
stress can be helpful for the assumption. According to Clarke (2015),
participatory work place interventions can be useful to reduce work related
stress factors and thus avert the ill health associated to stress. A participatory
intervention is a type of intervention, that is designed for increasing the
chances of the employees or to make decisions or partaking in the decision
making process. Systematic, structured and participatory interventions aim to
improve the psychological condition, organisation. Work management are
most likely to contribute to the wellbeing of the employees. These
participatory activities have also been found to enhance the sense of self
control, regard, prize and communication with the administrators. As stated by
Raab, (2014), there are a number of theories and researches about the risk
factor, interventions that can change the participation of the employees,
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reduce the job strain. Other work related hazards that needs to be controlled
are the entire task design like work overload, high work rate or time. High shift
hours have to be reduced. Special trainings should be given to the workers
dealing with difficult patients, visitors and the residents (Clarke, 2015). Studies
have also suggested that modification in the physical work environment and
the equipment like poor equipment and lack of space can increase work
related stress among the employees. Organisational culture and the functions
like effective management of work in the workplace can help the workers to
get relief from stress (Raab, 2014). Culturally appropriate workplace policies
and practices like recognition and introduction of the incentive structures
might motivate the care workers to work in the health care settings. Incentives
have been found to be creating a temporary motivation. On the other hand,
Gao, Newcombe, Tilse, Wilson & Tuckett, (2014) have proposed that
incentive pay schemes can pose stress upon the employees. Researchers
have found that performance related pay had a mix of both positive and
negative attitudes. The contingent pay, also called the incentive and the
variable pay are arrangements where some of the earnings of the employees
are dependent on some of the measure of performance. It might be
determined by performing productively at work and is normally seen as a way
to encourage the attitude of the employees.
Again the health care workers caring for the terminally ill patients can be
educated with psychotherapy to develop resilience to cope up with work-
related stress (Cameron & Brownie, 2012).
Management Plan
Individual interventions
Most of the interventions for the management of stress involves
interventions for reducing the health risk related to stress at the workplace
that involved both organisational and individual approaches. It should be
mentioned that, Individual approaches might involve one to one psychology
services- clinical, professional, health or psychotherapy (Persechino et al.,
2013). It should aim to alter discrete skills and the assets assisting individuals
to the change their decisions. Several training courses can be arranged for,
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that might help in developing an active plan for minimising the stressor, the
learning skills for active relaxation and coping up , development of a life style
creating a buffer against stress (Persechino et al., 2013).
Figure: Individual level interventions
Source: (Persechino et al., 2013).
The organisation could arrange for training courses for developing coping up
skills like assertiveness, communication skills, time management, problem
solving and effective management of the disease.
Organisation level interventions
Organisational level of interventions like modifying the working
environment, the technology. Trainings would teach skills for mobilising the
sustenance at work and to participate actively in the decision making and
problem solving. It would also help to get more supportive feedback, feeling
more empowered to cope up, providing appropriate care to the patients, and
avoiding medical errors (Persechino et al., 2013). Effective verbal and non-
verbal communications and the compassion skills provided during the time of
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training has been found to be associated with reduction in the mental strain
and exhaustion.
Evaluation
It is necessary to audit the existing management control and the
support system of the aged care sector, so that their efficacy can be
evaluated. The process for attaining this, should be a high response rate
(Pélissier et al., 2016). The measures used has to be valid and reliable. It
should have a control group. A comprehensive analysis work related stress
among the health care workers can be done by using a job content
questionnaires that included the measures of predictors of the job stress that
has been described earlier (Emanuel et al., 2016). An occupational stress
indicator should also be used.
Sample questions in a questionnaire:
1. Stress can be best seen as :
a) Pressure and demands
b) Maladaptive responses of the individuals
c) An interaction between the condition and the resources for coping up
with them
2. Individual approaches for the management of stressful situations would
include
a) Assisting the person to change the situation
b) Training skills
c) Changing the sources of stress
d) Assisting people to develop confidence
3. Organisational approach to stress management includes:
a) Depends on training
b) Suitable in a culture of criticism and blame
c) Considering stress in terms of hazards.
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Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that work related stress in the nursing
environment in prevalent and affects the performance of the organisations
and nurses, especially those in the aged care sector. In order to develop a
proper management plan in response to the work relate stress, condition, it is
necessary to assess the risk at a particle work station. Proper systematic tools
has been found to assess the risk of the hazards. Furthermore, training,
development of resilience, recruitment of more staffs, proper incentive
structures can be used to reduce the ill effects of work related stress
conditions.
A management plan is necessary in this organisation to reduce the
employee turnover, to reduce the rates of the medical errors, to decrease the
cost associated with the recruitment of the new employees.
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References
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