June 21, 2018
When we are ill or injured, the first person we likely see is a nurse. Whether it is at a medical clinic or hospital, nurses are used to take vitals, list symptoms and even administer medications and care to patients. Nurse play a vital role in a patient’s healthcare experience, making it vital that they are upholding their duty to provide adequate care. Failure to do so could result in medical errors occurring and harm to the patients he or she was caring for.
No matter what field of work a person is in, stress is likely to occur. Managing stress in the workplace is vital, as it could develop into a much more serious problem, such as depression and anxiety. Based on a current study, nurses that report poor health, specifically depression, are more likely to make medical errors when compared to their counterparts.
This was a large-scale study, looking at the health status of a nurse when an incidence of medical errors occurred. Based on the results, it was found that over half of the participants in the study reported that they had a physical or mental health problem. Roughly one in three participants disclosed that he or she was suffering from some form of depression, anxiety or stress. The overall finding of this study was that there was a significant link between depression and medical errors.
When the mental health of a nurse is poor, this reflects on their work performance. Medical errors are serious, as they could compromise the health and wellbeing of patients. Thus, when a medical error does occur, it is imperative that patients take the time to understand how it occurred and who is to blame. A medical malpractice suit could help with the recover of compensation for the losses and damages suffered.
