Free Essay

Health Issues

In: Social Issues

Submitted By isabellaam
Words 1105
Pages 5
HEALTH ISSUES

The circumstances at work which influence a workers health are so extensive that it is impossible to put them all into a presentation of 10 minutes. So I have decided to focus on the most common topics which concern most working people.

Stress
Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. This stress can lead to Burnout and even to injuries. The concept of job stress is often confused with challenge, but these concepts are not the same. Challenge energizes us, motivates us to learn new skills and master our jobs. Sometimes demands turn into stress, which might be the beginning of injury, burnout and job failure.

Where does job stress come from?

Nearly everyone agrees that job stress results from the worker himself and the conditions of work. Views differ which of these both is the primary cause of stress.

According to the NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), these are job conditions that may lead to stress:

The design of tasks: Heavy workload, hardly any breaks, hectic and long work hours.

Management style: poor communication in the organization and lack of family-friendly policies.

Interpersonal relationships: Poor social environment and lack of support or help from coworkers or supervisors.

Work roles: uncertain job expectations, too much responsibility,

Career concerns. Job insecurity and lack of opportunity promotion

Environmental conditions. Unpleasant or dangerous physical conditions such as crowding, noise, air pollution, or ergonomic problems.

Job stress and health
Stress sets off an alarm in the brain, which responds by preparing the body for defensive action. The nervous system is aroused and hormones are released to sharpen the senses, quicken the pulse, deepen respiration, and tense the muscles. Short-lived or infrequent episodes of stress pose little risk. But when stressful situations remain it might be harmful. These early signs of job stress are usually easy to recognize. But the effects of job stress on chronic diseases are more difficult to see because chronic diseases take a long time to develop and can be influenced by many factors other than stress.

Early warning signs of job stress are:

Headache

Sleep disturbances

Difficulty in concentrating

Short temper

Upset stomach

Job dissatisfaction

Low morale

As already mentioned stress has a big influence on your bodies health. It might be the cause for Cardiovascular Diseases, Psychological Disorders and Suicide, Cancer, Ulcers, and Impaired Immune Function.

What can be done about job stress?

As a general rule, actions to reduce job stress should give top priority to organizational change to improve working conditions. But even the most conscientious efforts to improve working conditions are unlikely to eliminate stress completely for all workers. For this reason, a combination of organizational change and stress management is often the most useful approach for preventing stress at work.

Burnout

is a psychological term for the experience of long-term exhaustion and lower interest. It goes hand in hand with stress, so I will not explain Burnout too much in detail. In fact it is hard to define where Job Stress ends and where Burnout starts. The burnout process can be divided into 12 phases:

Latest studies suggest that there are 30% of employees in jeopardy of suffering from Brunout.

Mobbing and Bullying

So far, there is no official definition of mobbing and it can occur in everyday situations. It is called workplace mobbing if the mobbing and bullying occur at the workplace. The scope of mobbing acts is unlimited, for example cyber-mobbing (which is mobbing via the internet). You can distinguish between verticale mobbing and horizontale mobbing.

„Vertical“ mobbing exists among employees of different levels, and occurs mostly when there is a desire for a career advancement; to eliminate or to hurt a competitor.

“Horizontal” mobbing exists among employees on the same level. It is mostly “applied” by senior colleagues within the department in relation to their new colleagues who have just entered into business.

Causes of mobbing

Mobbing in the workplace always has its origin in an unsolved conflict. For example, if a company faces an economic crisis, employees have to face that they might get dismissed. Employees who deliver a performance above average have of course better chances to keep their job. A less performing employee can either try harder or impair the performance of the rival, for example by sabotage.

Consequences of mobbing

Workplace conflicts which persist over a longer period of time can trigger illnesses. According to calculations, more than 10% of the time off through illness is the result of mobbing. Furthermore, the mobbing victim might lose motivation or self-esteem.

Mobbing Prevention

Mobbing can never be totally eliminated, but risk can be minimised. Since bullies are often skilled at hiding their actions behind a veil of overt friendliness, organizations must establish processes to uncover their actions. Bullies are driven by their own fears and insecurities, but their behavior can be controlled.

To minimize the risk of mobbing and bullying employers should:

Establish an anti-bullying policy

Conduct climate surveys

Conflict Management lessons

In an survey by Christoph Seydl amgong Upper Austrian employees in 2005, 5.3 % of the respondents reported that they are currently harassed/bullied. In the same year the percentage amounted to 2.9 % in Sweden.

Ergonomic in the Workplace

Ergonomics in the workplace has to do largely with the safety of employees. Ergonomics can help reduce costs by improving safety. Through ergonomics, workplaces can be designed so that workers do not have to overextend themselves. Back pain is one of the most common work-related injuries and is often caused by ordinary work activities such as sitting in an office chair or heavy lifting. People who sit most of the day, such as those who work at a computer while sitting in an office chair, are also at high risk for non-accidental back injury. Office ergonomics, or computer ergonomics, can help minimize the risk of repetitive injury, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, and the risks associated with prolonged sitting in an office chair, such as neck strain, lower back pain and leg pain.

Discussion:

The number of employees suffering from Burnout increases every year. What do you think are the reasons for this worsening?

Can you think of any other possibilities to prevent a Burnout?

Have you ever been bullied at your workplace? What would you do about it?

Have you ever had work-related injuries?

Sources:

http://www.medicinenet.com/health_and_the_workplace/page4.htm

http://www.seydl.eu/en/workplace_mobbing.html

http://www.cascadewellnessclinic.com/sports/compukids.shtml

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Cultural Health Issues

...member of the health care team to increase compliance with delivery of culturally competent care? Address specific interventions to improve aspects of care related to each of the identified categories: Culturally competent, Culturally appropriate and Culturally Sensitive. Introduction As a registered nurse in the healthcare field, it is extremely important to be well versed and mindful of each and every patient’s cultural background. Nurses encounter people from all walks of life so having the appropriate background knowledge on patients coupled with being sensitive to their beliefs and traditions is paramount to being exceptional in the profession. In order to accomplish this, one needs to develop his/her health care skills to be culturally competent, culturally appropriate and culturally sensitive. Supportive Information The necessity of cultural competence continues to be a topic of discussion. In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has even recognized the importance of cultural competencies and its effect on the health care needs of culturally diverse individuals. To reiterate this, with help from local communities, the NIH developed and communicated programs designed to aid awareness to the growing population of minorities. Some examples of these NIH-funded projects include culture and cancer literacy among immigrant women, health intervention efforts for Korean-Americans having high blood pressure and environmental health literacy targeting...

Words: 761 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Health Policy Issues

...Health Policy Issues Mellissia Barrett HCA497 Dr. Gloria Wilson November 12, 2012 Health Policy Issues Health care has been around since ancient times. And through the years the health care field has made many changes, splitting into different sects just as mental health, primary care, and specialty care. The cost of health care has changed and so has how we access that health care. Physicians once made house calls and now they are housed in office buildings or hospitals. Goods were once traded for fee for service providers and now people have insurance of every shape and size. Quality was a priority once, but has that held up through the years? Numerous policies have helped to shape the health care system from what it once was, to what it has become today; the following explores the viewpoints and roles of different policy makers and stakeholders on the aspects of access, cost and quality of care. As a stakeholder, what role does a Managed Care Organizations (MCO) play when it comes to access of care? Managed care organizations are a collaboration or network of hospitals, specialists, in primary care physicians. MCO’s discourage running unnecessary diagnostic testing and treatments, use primary care Physicians to control referrals to specialists, and use case management especially for high cost conditions to encourage less expensive treatments (Turnock, 2012). The purpose of a managed care organization is to achieve cost control by implementing aggressive...

Words: 2157 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Health Care Issues

...Health Care Issues in the United States Trumeka King Professor Gary Morris HSA 500 1/22/12 Health Care Issues in the United States The health care system of the United States has change in many different ways during the last century. It has evolved from a system which lacked technology and knowledge of medical science, to a nation full of the vast wealth of medical technology and how it applies to its community. Due to the rapid growth, health care has become a significant force “The nation’s health care system has increasingly moved to center stage, drawing the attention of many Americans and our nation’s politicians.” (Torrens & Williams, 2009) With all of this attention and government interaction, it is no wonder why our nation strives to improve and rationalize the health care system. While there are many aspects to discuss in terms of improvement, this paper will attempt to explain how health care is affected by behaviors, economics, and social structure. Also, it will discuss the three stages of medical technology, major trends in population demographics, as well as the most important trends in mortality over the past century. Behavior, Economics, and Social Structure The behavior or involvement of the public, economics and social structure are three aspects that greatly affect the health care system in the U.S. Behaviors or individual involvement of the nation has significantly impacted the health care system of the past as well as present day. Health...

Words: 1436 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Health Care Issue

...Health Care Issues in the United States Dr. Williams HSA 500 Introduction to Health Services October 24, 2010 1. Explain how health is affected by behaviors, economics, and social structure. The level of health is affected by factors of finance, culture, geography and other influences. When on is trying to obtain medical services there are several factors that need to take place as far as having adequate health insurance coverage. If someone does not have access to a good specialist for medical care, and this is due to lack of medical insurance or dependence on the local government. Due to the geographical location if the hospital is further away for those who have lack of public transportation or lack of their own mode of vehicle it creates a problem. Also in the cultural aspects, depending on how some patients feel they may not be comfortable with the level of skills used and practiced. Some patients will and have traveled to other countries for medical care. 2. Describe the three stages of medical technology development. The three stages of medical technology are: scientific background and development of the idea for a product; product development, approval, and distribution; and, diffusion, adoption, and utilization of the product. With the first stage of the development it involves a lot of basic science discoveries that provides fertile scientific environment from which useful products may one day they will eventually emerge. Without having the first stage...

Words: 914 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Ethical Issues in Health Policies

...Ethical issues with Obesity Prevention Policies in the United States In the United States, growing concern about obesity and unhealthy eating has lead to promote policy efforts to promote healthier eating. The federal government, as well as state and local governments, have proposed and implemented variety of policies to increase consumption of healthy food and reduce overconsumption of unhealthy food. Some examples of such policies are- bans on trans-fat in restaurants, nutritional requirements for fast food meals marketed as children’s meals, proposed taxes on sugary drinks , proposal by New York City to limit sales of sugary drinks, policies limiting the density of fast food restraint and many more. The obesity prevention policies have many ethical arguments for and against them. The two core ethical concerns are-ethical concern with individual autonomy, and ethical concern with equality. There is disagreements too that which dimension, equality or autonomy have priority and also that is it justifiable for government policies to diminish equality or autonomy along one dimension in order to increase it on other dimension. Ethical concern with equality of obesity prevention policy- The obesity prevention policy is concerned about fair distribution of multiple things like health, income, financial spending on healthy food, geographic access to healthy food and many more. But it is seen that none of these are equitably distributed in U.S.A. There are inequalities which...

Words: 709 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Hispanic Health Issues

...Family-Centered Health Promotion NRS-429VN Shannon Foley June 12, 2016 Hispanics, Hypertension , and Healthy choices. Health status and health behaviors of Hispanics is diversified within their own culture. There are differences between American born versus immigrant born. Acculturations to the American lifestyle has made this divide. American fast food is inexpensive, convenient, high in salt, and saturated fats. We will compare the health status of Hispanic culture to the national average. Health concerns include Hypertension, Heart Disease, and Cancer. Heart disease and cancer are the leading diseases affecting Latino-Americans. The Health disparities within the Hispanic population will be observed to allow for evaluation of healthier lifestyle. We will seek out community resources available to make those lifestyle changes. Due to the vast amount of information on this topic we will stayed focused on American Born Latinos. Hispanic Health Status Versus the U. S. National Average While obtaining information regarding Hispanic health disparities and behaviors, we discovered the complexity of this subject. Hispanics living in the United States represent an increasing diversity of national-origin groups. Relatively new groups, including Dominicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, and Colombians, have grown rapidly, adding their numbers to well-established populations of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban origin. (2006) Hispanics that were foreign born show better health practices and...

Words: 1275 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Environmental Issues on Global Health

...Environmental Issues on Global Health Seven Environmental Issues Complete the following chart by identifying seven environmental issues that affect global health. In the second column, describe in complete sentences how the issue affects global health. Environmental issue How does the issue affect global health? Overpopulation The Earth’s natural resources are already being consumed at an unsustainable rate. Many of these resources are required to support world health and human life (Donnatelle, 2010). Human population is expected to increase dramatically over the next decade. This, alone, is the greatest threat to life on our planet. Air pollution Air pollution affects everything from agriculture and ecosystems to human health, on a global scale. The five major air pollutants are ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide (Donnatelle, 2010). A majority of these pollutants are the result of human action. One example being coal power plants. These plants release greenhouse gas emissions and particle air pollution. The burning of the coal creates pollutant byproducts. Other forms of industrial pollution, exhaust fumes, burning wood, and several forms of indoor air pollutants result in air contamination. The combination of various air contaminates can be extremely toxic. The pollutants irritate the lungs and may even cause respiratory diseases and cancer in humans (Donnatelle, 2010). Ozone Layer Depletion / Global...

Words: 1424 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Horizon Mental Health Issues

...World health organisation defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community” (BMC 2010). As per the statement, the absence of any kind of mental problem doesn’t necessarily mean the existence of sound mental health however this can be looked in another way, I.e., people living with mental disorder can also achieve good levels of wellbeing where they are living a satisfying, meaningful, contributing life even though suffering from the painful or devastating symptoms (WHO 2014). In Horizon, more than 47% of government funded mental community services...

Words: 462 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Health Care Issues

...imperative that health care costs are managed and soon because the government is finding it quite difficult to sustain everyone’s needs. In addition, healthcare reforms must be made to lessen healthcare costs before the quality of healthcare reduce in a drastic way. Healthcare spending has been on a continuous incline in America throughout the years. According to Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services, in the year of 2008 health care cost rose to $2.3 trillion in the United States; this was 4.4% higher than 2007 costs. Healthcare costs are averaging a little over %16 of the entire Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 2008 Medicare spending increased 8.6% and Medicaid spending increased 4.7% in the same year. In addition, hospital stays physician rates, clinical visits, and prescription medications increased as well. 31% of a $1.6 trillion healthcare cost has been designated strictly for hospital stay care. Clinical and physician services are accountable for about 22% however, proposals from physicians account for a much vaster percentage of health care costs. Prescription medications make up about 11%; which has continuously increased over the past 10 years. The remaining health care costs branch out from administrative, long-term care, and other miscellaneous expenses. United States health care system is said to be the most expensive health care systems in the world. This accomplishment is not what the nation anticipated this is why it is imperative that health care...

Words: 1328 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Ethical Issues In Health Care

...it is imperative to have a variety of healthcare resources available to assist the DMEC in revitalizing back the City of Amsterdam to a state of optimal health. The APN, in collaboration with other members of the healthcare team will address the needs of the clients, whether it is obtaining a glucometer, offering nutritional support, or other treatments that might be relevant to their illness. This will increase the patients’ ability to reach their state of optimal health. Through collaboration,...

Words: 643 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Health Care Issues in the Us

...Health Services Organization Assignment #1, Health Care issues in the United States Dr. Rashida Biggs Alexander Johnson October 20, 2011 Explain how health is affected by behaviors, economics, and social structure. Imagine a world where no one smokes cigarettes. This would be an amazing phenomenon due to not only a major economic factor but the health concerns that would not be an issue. Smoking is a behavior issue that has been argued since smoking ever was introduced. This behavior began more than 400 years ago (Schuman, MD) and has continued to be a huge health concern worldwide. There is historical data on tobacco use in the United States through the US Department of Agriculture with dates as early as the 1880’s to support the consumption by US citizens. With such a behavioral issue, the health care will always have a concern due to the effects of cigarette smoke and other tobacco related products. Health issues like cancer and cardiovascular diseases are directly related to this behavior. Although the rates of the diseases listed have shown somewhat of a decline, the health issues still remain and will for some time. Alcohol and illicit drug use are other behaviors that effect the health of Americans. When citizens use drugs, alcohol or tobacco, there are behaviors that are attributed to the use of such items that effect the health of individuals. These behaviors also play a role economically in the US. It has been studied that the behaviors discussed are addictive...

Words: 837 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Public Health Ethical Issues

...Public Health Ethics is focused on the good for the society as a whole and it can infringe in the medical ethics of the individual thereby creating conflict. However, public health ethics must focus on the society and its distinctive nature of collective good, prevention, government action and its intrinsic outcome-orientation for the population (Public Health Ethics, n.d., 2015). A conflict can be the end-of-life debate that is considered a medical ethic but becomes a public health ethic because services involve administration and financial dimensions that are part of public health and management of health services (Williams & Torrens, 2008). Also, a source of conflict can be the mental health and protection of society against the legal...

Words: 428 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Issues for the Health Care Professional

...Issues for the Health Care Professionals I chose to use the medical specialty of medical surgeon for my paper; my reasoning behind this medical specialty is because surgeons account for nearly 50% of all medical malpractice law suits in the country. The bulk of these law suits occur in just 75 of the largest counties , which indicates that most medical malpractice law suits occur in the more densely populated areas which is where the most income is generated. Another 33% of nonsurgical law suits occur in the same 75 counties which when added together account for 83% of all law suits filed in the United States. To put these numbers in the proper context there are thousands of counties in the United States, so what you have is the people in areas like New York, Las Angeles, Atlanta and so on filing thousands of law suits each year. It is estimated that from 1990-2004 there were over 191,804 medical malpractice lawsuits reported to the National Practitioner Databank (NPD) regarding physicians in the United States. It is further estimated that of all the medical law suits filed only about 27% of them were won by the plaintiffs, which can lead a person to believe that there are a lot of frivolous suits being filed. It is estimated that 25% of all doctors in the United States are sued each year, which means that if you are a surgeon you have a better than 1 in 4 chance of getting sued each year that you practice medicine. It must be for love of the profession because with those...

Words: 1410 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Ethical Issues In Health Care

...How has the information you have learned in this course help you be a better health care provider? This course help me inso many way.  I have learn pateints rights, which thst was my favarite lesson. how patients have the right to speak. but doctors need to better listene, and not be afraid of what patient might and give them their honest opinion. which make me think bor about my carreer choice, when i receiced my diploma and  begin working, i want to be good at my job and be helpful in so many ways to my patiens.   What issue(s) did you learn in this course that you would not know about had you not taken this course. The ethical issues was one of the lesson i had problem of agree with. I undestand the fact that doctors have rules to follow, medical ethic to follow, but this is where my issues come up, wiht all thos rules docotrs have to follow, they are scared to ask thier patients certain wuestion to not offend the patients. whereas patients goes to the doctor to be treated or to be better with their health. so why all those rules. i guess people lives are complicated, so ths ethical rules wil make the doctors job less stressful....

Words: 485 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Health Care Issues In Canada

...Poverty and health care are considerable issues that are affecting us Canadians. Poverty is on the rise as our population continues to grow, more people have an effect on our health care now. The Canadian health care system is not up to date and Canadians are wanting change and a better health care place. Poverty has always been a problem anywhere and now with the increase population the demand for food and a living space is higher but not all needs are met creating a higher poverty and homeless rate within Canadians. There is an increase in poverty around Canada. Over two years poverty has risen 19% in Edmonton with 2,618 homeless people. Poverty also has an economic cost. These costs include the impact on our healthcare system, loss of productivity and increased policing and judicial costs as social breakdown results in crime. The governments now have the ability to change structures and policies that greatly impact those living in poverty. Poverty rates among Aboriginal Canadians are significantly higher. They are frequently the last hired and the first laid off, but even when they are employed they work for low wages and poor benefits. Therefore, it is not a country's total wealth that is relevant, but how that country distributes...

Words: 654 - Pages: 3