A National Study Links Nurses' Physical and Mental Health to Medical Errors and Perceived Worksite Wellness
Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk1, Liana Orsolini, Alai Tan
1The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, Ohio (Drs Melnyk, Tan, Gawlik); Bon Secours Health System, Marriottsville, Maryland (Dr Orsolini); University of Michigan School of Nursing, Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, Ann Arbor, Michigan (Dr Arslanian-Engoren); New York University College of Nursing, New York, New York (Dr Melkus, Dr Chyun); University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Dr Dunbar-Jacob); Emeritus, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan (Dr Rice); LAC/DPH Children's Medical Services, El Monte, California (Dr Millan); Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Atlanta, Georgia (Dr Dunbar); Rush University College of Nursing, Chicago, Illinois (Drs Braun, Wilbur); and University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Dr Lewis).
Objective:
The aim of this study was to describe (1) nurses' physical and mental health; (2) the relationship between health and medical errors; and (3) the association between nurses' perceptions of wellness support and their health.
Methods:
A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted with 1790 nurses across the U.S.
Results:
Over half of the nurses reported suboptimal physical and mental health. Approximately half of the nurses reported having medical errors in the past 5 years. Compared with nurses with better health, those with worse health were associated with 26% to 71% higher likelihood of having medical errors. There also was a significant relationship between greater perceived worksite wellness and better health.
Conclusion:
Wellness must be a high priority for health care systems to optimize health in clinicians to enhance high-quality care and decrease the odds of costly preventable medical errors.
Related Concept Videos
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities II
Communication between nurses and...
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities III
Cultivating a culture of collaboration and mutual respect among nurses transcends mere enhancement...
National Nursing Organizations II
The AACN emphasizes a healthy work environment through six standards to achieve an optimal patient outcome. The standards are appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, collaboration, authentic leadership, effective communication, and decision-making. In addition, AACN provides certification programs, webinars, journals, and...
Nurses' Legal Responsibilities I
The legal responsibilities of a nurse regarding informed consent include the following:
International Nursing Organizations II
The WHO provides expert team support, including funding, vaccines, testing, and treatment tools at the country level to fight...
Current Trends in Nursing II
