Week 8 Job Stress and Burnout PSY-565

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Apr 3, 2024

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Reducing Workplace Stress in Pediatric Trauma Physician Assistants Joshua N. Schreck Grand Canyon University: College of Humanities and Social Science PSY-565: Industrial/Organizational Psychology Dr. Thomas King May 1, 2024 1

Abstract This essay identifies factors contributing to high-stress levels among pediatric trauma physician assistants and proposes ways to minimize stress. Considering the nature of the pediatric trauma physician assistant job, the working environment is entirely stressful. This profession involves making serious medical decisions and comes with numerous emotional stress factors, such as working with critically ill children. Furthermore, organizational stressors such as heavy workloads, lack of resources, and ineffective communication strategies contribute to high-stress levels. The implications of high-stress levels may include poor patient care quality, relations, and healthcare professional well-being. Considering this, it is recommended that organizations apply leadership behavior and organizational policy that promotes stress reduction. Furthermore, I/O psychology’s need for change and collaborative approaches to promoting organizational improvements are discussed. 2

Reducing Workplace Stress in Pediatric Trauma Physician Assistants Healthcare providers who focus on pediatric trauma care face many challenges. Physician assistants are an example of such health workers who are vital hospital staff in providing prompt and effective medical care to severely injured children. Some studies suggest that the pediatric trauma PA specialty comes with stressful burdens that can hinder their work and jeopardize their health. This essay outlines the causes of stress, proposes stress management techniques, and elaborates on the definitions and principles of I/O psychology that can help an organization address the problem. Factors Contributing to High-Stress Levels PAs specializing in pediatric trauma experience multiple stress factors during their daily work. The actual nature of pediatric trauma care is overwhelming, including taking care of critically sick or injured children and their distressed parents. Observing the young patient’s suffering, making critical decisions under pressure, and prioritizing constantly changeable work interventions harm PAs’ mental health and welfare. Moreover, organizational elements like an exhausting workload, a lack of resources, and poor communication further contribute to stress development. The unpredictable triage nature of pediatric trauma, combined with long shifts and 3

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rations, causes physical and emotional exhaustion. Lack of social support from colleagues or supervisors and perceived low work autonomy additionally help develop high stress levels and burnout (Healthcare Finance, 2023). Consequences of High Stress The study of high levels of stress among pediatric trauma PAs is crucial, as its profound implications may endanger the quality of patient care provided and the well-being of healthcare professionals. Firstly, stress causes a decline in the ability to make decisions, meaning that PAs may misdiagnose or prescribe the wrong treatment, compromising patient safety. Secondly, chronic stress is known to be associated with numerous physical and mental health issues, including burnout, anxiety or depression, and cardiovascular diseases (Degroat et al., 2024). Thus, the adverse effects of stress on the health of professionals affect their job satisfaction and performance, undermining the healthcare system's work. Strategies for Stress Reduction Organizations can employ various strategies to reduce stress levels among pediatric trauma PAs. Leadership behaviors are critical to creating a supportive work environment that reduces stress. Good leaders show empathy, appreciation, and understanding of the hardships faced by healthcare professionals. They create an open communication environment, facilitate teamwork and collaboration, and prioritize employee health. Organizational policies and practices are also central to stress reduction. Enough staff, reasonable work demands, and access to necessary resources are necessary to support healthcare professionals’ efforts to deliver high- quality patient care without undue stress. Providing opportunities for healthcare professionals to 4

receive training and professional development will help empower them to handle challenging situations. Additionally, organizational policies that encourage work-life balance, such as flexible schedules, paid leave, and access to employee assistance programs, can help prevent and reduce stress and burnout. (Glawing et al., 2023) The Role of I/O Psychology I/O psychology is essential in assessing the need for organizational change and implementing work-based interventions for stress reduction. I/O psychologists ascertain the root causes of workplace stress through employee surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Findings resulting from the assessment are then utilized to develop discipline-specific interventions. The psychologist then determines work-based interventions that best fit the specific organization to address the assessed root causes of workplace stress. Work-based interventions to address the iodimetry practice setting include leadership workshops, organizational restructuring and initiative, and employee wellness programs. Engaging organizational stakeholders in the implementation process and offering backup support ensures that the work-based intervention successfully creates a supportive workplace environment that reduces stress for desired patient outcomes. (Aamodt, 2016) Conclusion To conclude, pediatric trauma PAs experience heightened stress that affects their ability to provide complicated care for patients and contributes to their professional burnout. Nevertheless, organizations can eliminate the underlying causes of PAs’ stress and introduce stress reduction strategies to ensure that PAs work in an energizing, supportive work 5

environment that promotes their well-being and positive patient outcomes. The role of I/O psychology in identifying and addressing the need for change and implementing organizational intervention is instrumental. I/O psychologists can cooperate with the administration and healthcare staff to create timely, meaningful, and permanent changes that benefit the staff and the organization. 6

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References Aamodt, M. G. (2016). Industrial/organizational psychology: An applied approach (8th ed.). Cengage Learning. Degroat, T., Wiersielis, K., Denney, K., Kodali, S., Daisey, S., Tollkuhn, J., Samuels, B. A., & Roepke, T. A. (2024). Chronic stress and its effects on behavior, RNA expression of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the M-current of NPY neurons. Psychoneuroendocrinology , 161 , 106920–106920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106920 Glawing, C., Karlsson, I., Kylin, C., & Nilsson, J. (2023). Work‐related stress, stress reactions and coping strategies in ambulance nurses: A qualitative interview study. Journal of Advanced Nursing , 80 (2). https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15819 Healthcare Finance. (2023, September 14). Burnout growing among PAs; 8% plan to leave (J. Lagasse, Ed.). Healthcare Finance News. https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/burnout-growing-among-pas-8-plan-leave 7

Week 8 Job Stress and Burnout PSY-565

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