Education is essential across the different health care settings. In fact, a solid foundation of nursing education is a good predictor of safe nursing practice . Acquisition of nursing knowledge and skills is continuous.It does not end in nursing school. Hence, continuous nursing education is necessary especially in clinical settings where technology and interventions are fast changing. One should keep oneself abreast to ensure safe and quality nursing care. Preceptorship or mentorship is best beneficial in entry level nursing practice where one-on-one guidance is critical.
Among the aforementioned staff development methods, provision of education seems to be the most cost-effective and the simplest to improve. Learning materials can be accessed easily with the help of technology. In addition, online resources are being improved and updated regularly.
Role Strain and Role Stress
Role stress and role strain have been used interchangeably to describe a person’s frustration towards the performance of one’s role .However, there is a difference between the two concepts. Role stress is being in a state of tension. This type of stress can be good (eustress) or bad (distress) depending on how the person perceives the situation. Role strain is a much more serious state in which a person is having diffciulty performing any of his or her assigned roles , in this case, being a nurse manager. In other words, role strain is more of a dysfunctional state.
Positive role modeling becomes challenging if a nurse manager is confronted with role strain. In a study by Wong and Laschinger (2015), it was found out that managers experiencing role strain lead to the staff’s increased incidence of burnout, turnovers and decreased organizational commitment.. With this knowledge, appropriate interventions are necessary to help the nurse manager adjust to the role being assigned to her. Provision support and open communication between the manager and the can help address the problem of role strain .
References
Gerkin, K., Taylor, T., & Weatherby, F. (2009). The Perception of Learning and Satisfaction of Nurses in the Online Environment. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, E8-E13.
Gesme, D., Towle, E., & Wiseman, M. (2010). Essentials of Staff Development and Why You Should Care. Journal of Oncology Practice, 104-106.
Grossman, S. (2012). Mentoring in Nursing: A Dynamic and Collaborative Process, Second Edition. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
Joseph, C. (n.d.). Chron. Retrieved January 18, 2016, from The Disadvantages of Teamwork in the Workplace: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-teamwork-workplace-1937.html
Kalisch, B., & Lee, H. (2010). Nursing Staff Teamwork and Job Satisfaction. Journal of Nursing Management, 938-947.
Medical Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2016, from The Free Dictionary by Farlex: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/role+strain
Scarince, C. (n.d.). Role Strain in Sociology: Definition & Examples. Retrieved January 18, 2016, from Study.com: http://study.com/academy/lesson/role-strain-in-sociology-definition-examples-quiz.html
Vaismoradi, M., Salsali, M., & Marck, P. (2011). Patient safety: nursing students’ perspectives. International Nursing Review, 434-442.
Wong, C., & Lapschinger, H. (2015). The influence of frontline manager job strain on burnout, commitment and turnover intention: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 1824-1833.
Yoder-Wise, P. (2014). Leading and Managing in Nursing 6th edition. St. Louis: Elsevier.