Influences on pharmacist's well-being at work

Question 1

What is work stress?

Answer 1

Stress is the adverse reaction a person has to excessive pressure or other types of demand placed on them

Question 2

What causes work stress?

Answer 2

Work content
Work context

Question 3

What factors are there for work content?

Answer 3

Job content - e.g. monotonous, unpleasant tasks
Workload/work pace - e.g. too much/too little, not enough staff
Work hours/schedule - e.g. inflexibility with hours, no breaks, overtime
Participation/control - e.g. no control of job/work methods/schedule

Question 4

What factors are there for work context?

Answer 4

Role - e.g. ambiguity of role
Career development/pay - no security in job, not getting paid enough, unfair evaluation
Work relationships - feeling isolated
Organisational culture - poor communication, poor management and leadership
Change - change in equipment, policies
Home-work interference

Question 5

What are the effects of work stress?

Answer 5

Individual
Organisational

Question 6

What are the effects on the individual?

Answer 6

Physical health
Psychological well-being
Relationship to work - lack of motivation
Personal problems - difficulties with relationships

Question 7

What is the effects on the organisations?

Answer 7

Sickness absence
Performance/productivity
Staff turnover - staff leaving
Accident/injury
Industrial disputes - caused by injuries or accidents
Reputation - can be damaged if there is injuries

Question 8

How to prevent or manage work stress?

Answer 8

Strategies focued on the individual
Strategies directed at individual-organisational interface
Organisational strategies

Question 9

What are examples of individual strategies?

Answer 9

Couselling/CBT
Stress Management training
Exercise
Relaxation/meditation
Employee assistance programmes - reducing hours, refering to counselling through work
Return to work schemes

Question 10

What are examples of individual-organisational interface strategies?

Answer 10

Increasing automony - allowing people to make decisions about what they want to do
Co-worker support
Appraisals - regular one to one conversations about how you can be supported
Role clarity - prevent people taking on more roles than required
Teamwork/skill mix
Communication - prevent isolation
Participation

Question 11

What are examples of organisational strategies?

Answer 11

Task/job characteristics - changing them
Ergonomics/physical environment
Technology/equipment
Work scheduling
Management training
Company policy/strategy
Organisational culture