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Showing results for tags 'Fatigue / exhaustion'.
Found 337 results
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Content ArticleDoctor Laura Mount reveals in a new series in the Guardian how staff sickness, spiralling waiting lists and political pressure have left GPs on the brink.
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Content ArticleA recent survey has found that one in four doctors in the NHS are so tired that their ability to treat patients has become impaired. In this Guardian article, doctors reveal how tiredness, fatigue and sleep deprivation are affecting their ability to provide the best care for patients in the NHS.
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Content ArticleAfter nearly two years of pandemic, 5,000 inpatients and 1,000 deaths, the staff of one of the largest hospitals in north-west England are frustrated and exhausted. While ministers talk of encouraging signs that the Omicron wave may be receding in parts of England, staff at the Royal Preston are struggling to keep their heads above water. The hospital has seen a near four-fold increase in Covid patients since Christmas Day, rising to 103 last week. It is one of the largest hospitals in a region with the highest infection levels in the UK and two neighbouring NHS Trusts have declared critical incidents. Despite a recent slowdown in admissions, the “horrendous” levels of staff absence means the pressure is ratcheting up.
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Content ArticleBurnout is a serious problem for clinicians as well as the patients who rely on them for safe care, and the challenge has only been compounded by the stresses and trauma of the pandemic. A recent study by Pearl et al. showed that healthcare administrators could use a single survey item to see how their clinicians are doing. The question it asked was, “Are there individuals at your work location who are so burned out that the quality or safety of research, clinical care, or other important work product is impacted?” The respondents’ perception of the impact of burnout on quality safety of healthcare was self-reported using a 5-point system, ranging from 1 (“no burnout or it doesn’t impact safety and quality”) to 5 (“a serious impact on quality and safety”). This nonproprietary, single-item burnout-impacting safety scale showed a sensitivity of 82% using 4 on the scale as a cutoff (“there is quite a bit of impact of burnout on safety and quality”), indicating this tool may be effective in helping determine what healthcare providers may be at high risk for safety events affecting patients.
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Content Article"To healthcare workers in the COVID era, holidays mean death, and we knew Omicron was coming before it had a name. The wave caused by this variant has barely begun, rapidly gathering steam, and we are exhausted, attempting to pull from reserves badly drained by earlier surges." Kathryn Ivey, a critical care nurse at a medical center in Nashville, Tennessee, confronts the Omicron surge filling her hospital.
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Content ArticleIn this opinion piece for The BMJ, Partha Kar, consultant endocrinologist and NHS England National Specialty Advisor for Diabetes, looks at the crisis facing primary care in the UK. He highlights that many primary care professionals are feeling burnt out due to the intense pressure and negative attention GPs are currently experiencing. The cost of relying on primary care for the vaccination programme is that treatment for mental health and long term conditions has been neglected. GPs are at the receiving end of patients' frustrations about delays to their care. Partha highlights the need to: prepare well in advance for potential future waves of Covid-19, including by developing a vaccine delivery workforce that is not reliant on primary care. ensure vaccines are distributed to less developed countries, and move away from seeing vaccination as an issue of nationalism. increase funding for primary care in a focused and sustained way.
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Content ArticleIn this interview with the journal International Politics and Society, Brendan Delaney, professor at the Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London discusses the impact of Long Covid on individuals and society. He describes his own experience of Long Covid, which rendered him unable to work for months, and highlights that we should not be surprised by the prevalence of Long Covid, as all epidemics result in long-term illness for many people. He draws attention to parts of the political system 'not believing in' Long Covid and highlights the damage caused by psychologising the condition. Finally, he points to the need for more research to better understand Long Covid symptoms.
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Content ArticleClinician burnout in healthcare is a growing area of concern, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on. Research from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Regenstrief Institute looked at ways organisations can address burnout.
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Content ArticleThese information sheets by World Physiotherapy, the global body for physiotherapy member organisations, were produced for World Physiotherapy Day 2021, which focused on the role of physiotherapists in treating and managing people affected by Long Covid. Topics include: What is Long Covid? Rehabilitation and Long Covid Fatigue and post-exertional symptom exacerbation How to use pacing with your physiotherapist Breathing exercises The information sheets are also available in a variety of other languages.
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Content Article
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The Office for National Statistics estimates that in December 2021, 1.2 million people in the UK were living with Long Covid. Long Covid is a condition characterised by ongoing symptoms that last for months and even years after an initial Covid-19 infection. It is a difficult condition to diagnose, and nearly two years since it was first seen, medical understanding of Long Covid is still limited. People living with Long Covid often express frustration at misconceptions about the condition that are prevalent amongst medical professionals, policy makers and the general public. In this article, we highlight some of these myths, explain why they are inaccurate and describe the damage they can cause to people living with the condition. -
Content ArticleStaff are pulling together to meet increasing demands in an overstretched health service; working more intense hours, routinely missing breaks and dealing with inadequate rest facilities. We know this is bad for staff and our patients. This charter from the BMA outlines simple steps that can be taken to improve facilities and reduce fatigue, so we can safely, effectively and efficiently care for our patients.
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Content ArticleThis episode of the Hope4Med podcast features pharmacist Soojin Jun, co-founder of Patients for Patient Safety US and patient advocate with a passion for patient safety, quality improvement, and health equity. Dr. Jun shares the life-changing experience that affected her family and led to her career in healthcare. She discusses the importance of effective communication in healthcare, not only between patients and providers but also between providers. Miscommunications can cost a life. We also explore how burnout and moral injury can further harm when healthcare professionals are not functioning at their optimal level.
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Content ArticleThis blog for The Kings Fund looks at how chronic excessive workload is damaging staff health, patient care and healthcare workers' long-term ability to provide high-quality and compassionate care for people in their communities. The authors argue that the issue of excessive workload is the major barrier preventing improvements in patient satisfaction, staff retention, financial performance and care outcomes.
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Content ArticleStaff retention is a significant issue for ambulance services across the globe. Exploratory research, although minimal, indicates that stress and burnout, in particular, influence attrition within the paramedic profession. These need to be understood if their impact on retention is to be addressed.
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Content ArticleIn this blog, a patient who experienced life-changing surgical complications describes the process of reconciliation between medical staff and patients when harm has occurred in healthcare. She highlights the need for both the patient and healthcare professional to be engaged and open in the process. She also looks at how different human factors can negatively impact on the duty of candour process, and why they need to be acknowledged. These factors include lack of communication, distraction, lack of resources, stress, complacency, lack of teamwork, pressure, lack of awareness, lack of knowledge, fatigue, lack of assertiveness and norms.
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Content ArticleThe single worst stressor on healthcare workers is the gap between what their patients need and what they can deliver. The covid-19 pandemic is making this divide wider than ever, writes Esther Choo in this BMJ article.
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EventThis Hospital at Night Summit focuses on out of hours care in hospitals delivering high quality safe care at night, and supporting the wellbeing of those working at night. Through national updates, networking opportunities and case studies this conference provides a practical guide to delivering a high quality hospital at night and transforming out of hours services and roles to improve patient safety. The 2023 conference will focus on the developing an effective Hospital at Night service, and focus on the practicalities of supporting staff at night, improving wellbeing and fighting fatigue. Benefits of attending this conference will enable you to: Network with colleagues who are working to improve Hospital at Night Practice. Learn from recent developments. Improve your skills in the recognition management and escalation of deteriorating patients at night. Understand and evaluate different models for Hospital at Night. Examine the role of task management solutions for Hospital at Night, including handover and eObservations. Ensure effective and safe staffing at night. Improving and supporting the wellbeing of hospital at night staff. Examine Hospital at Night team roles, competence and improve team working. Improve safety through the reduction of falls at night. Supporting staff and reducing fatigue at night. Develop the role of Clinical Practitioner and Advanced Nursing Practice at night. Identify key strategies to change practice and ways of working in Hospital at Night. Understand how hospitals can improve conditions for night workers and support Junior Doctors. Self assess and reflect on your own practice. Supports CPD professional development and acts as revalidation evidence. This course provides 5 Hrs training for CPD subject to peer group approval for revalidation purposes. Register hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code.
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EventThis Hospital at Night Summit focuses on out of hours care in hospitals delivering high quality safe care at night, and supporting the wellbeing of those working at night. Through national updates, networking opportunities and case studies this conference provides a practical guide to delivering a high quality hospital at night and transforming out of hours services and roles to improve patient safety. The 2023 conference will focus on the developing an effective Hospital at Night service, and focus on the practicalities of supporting staff at night, improving wellbeing and fighting fatigue. For further information and to book your place visit https://www.healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk/conferences-masterclasses/hospital-at-night-summit or email frida@hc-uk.org.uk. hub members receive a 20% discount. Email info@pslhub.org for discount code. Follow on Twitter @HCUK_Clare #HospitalAtNight
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Community Post
GP experiences of rejected referrals and access to secondary care
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a topic in GP and primary care
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Are you a GP or other healthcare professional working in primary care? Have you noticed an increase in rejected referrals to outpatient services/for scans and other investigations? How have changes to the referral system affected you? What communication relating to referrals have you received recently from the NHS? What has the impact been on your own workload and wellbeing, and the safety of patients? Please share your experiences with us so we can continue to highlight this important issue. -
Content ArticleShift work can introduce additional health, safety and wellbeing challenges. This article explore some of these challenges, including the increased risk of injury or illness, sleep and fatigue problems, psychological health, and suggest ways you can ensure safe and healthy shift work.
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Content ArticleStatistics and key facts about the impact of hydration, nutrition, sleep, and regular breaks on workforce wellbeing.
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Content ArticleThis report by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) highlights the impact of midwifery staffing shortages on women. It looks at historical failures to invest appropriately in maternity services and talks about a mounting maternity crisis, drawing attention to Care Quality Commission inspections of maternity services that are identifying concerns around safety directly linked to staffing shortages. According to the report’s findings, if the number of NHS midwives in England had risen at the same pace as the overall health service workforce since the last general election, there would be no midwife shortage; there would be 3,100 more midwives in the NHS, rather than having a shortfall of 2,500 full-time midwives. The RCM published the results of a survey last month which showed that midwives give 100,000 hours of free labour to the NHS per week to ensure safe care for women. It also showed that staffing levels were repeatedly cited as cause for concern around the safety of care, and that midwives and maternity support workers are exhausted and burnt out.
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Content ArticleThis resource from the Royal College of Nursing encourages health and social care managers to ensure that nursing staff are taking their at-work breaks, are well hydrated and have access to nutritional food. It outlines the case for making improvements and the legal responsibilities of employing organisations, and provides tips and case studies to support the implementation of improvements. The document is supported by a short guide for nursing staff and posters to encourage nursing staff to self-care and take steps to rest, rehydrate and refuel.
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Community PostI would be interested to know, if overnight, patients who score 0-2 on NEWS which has not changed with no concerns since the last set of observations, what your trust policy is on observation frequency? Does your trust require observations to be carried out 4 hourly minimum regardless of patients NEWS score and stability? Or if there are no concerns and the patient is clinically stable with consecutive NEWS 0-2 that they do not have observations taken overnight? Looking forward to hearing what other trust practices are.
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Content ArticlePresentation slides from Nancy Redfern, Consultant Anaesthetist and Newcastle Co-chair Joint fatigue working group, and David Dawson, Consultant Anaesthetist & Sleep Physician Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, on managing fatigue and creating a safety culture.
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