ICU nurses experienced reductions in heart rate variability parameters (SDNN, RMSSD, and HF) during Stat and Routine care events, indicating significant physiological stress responses to workplace activities.
Observational (n=28)
No
Do workplace events affect heart rate variability as a measure of stress in ICU nurses?
HRV can serve as a contemporary index of workplace stress and trauma in ICU nurses, highlighting their vulnerability to physiological and psychological health issues.
Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses work in a demanding environment and face repeated encounters with traumatic and ethical issues, which may negatively impact their psychological and physical health, patient care, and hospitals’ bottom line. The purpose of this study was to investigate stress among ICU nurses performing workplace activities/events by measuring fluctuations in heart rate variability (HRV), a reliable indicator of stress-related physiological changes. Methods: Real-time HRV was measured using a wearable, wireless electrocardiogram for 30 ICU nurses while at work in this cross sectional, observational study. Workplace events were categorized (Routine Care, Stat (urgent) Care, and Interpersonal) and assigned numerical code labels. HRV time- and frequency-domain indices of SDNN, RMSSD, HF, and LF were calculated and accurately linked to participants’ corresponding physiological HRV responses to workplace events on an observational data collection tool, accessed on a portable electronic tablet. The association of HRV with ICU workplace events and psychological and clinical outcomes was explored. Results: Nurses’ HRV parameters of SDNN, RMSSD, and HF tended to have the greatest reduction to both Stat (urgent) and Routine care events. New nurses tended to have lower HRV than experienced nurses. We found high rates of perceived stress and peritraumatic dissociative experiences and low resilience in the ICU nurses. Conclusion: HRV can be used as a contemporary index of workplace stress and trauma in ICU nurses. Study nurses were vulnerable to potential long-term physiological and psychological health issues. Understanding stress and trauma ICU nurses face at work will allow for strategies for interventions to reduce the development of post-traumatic stress disorder, peritraumatic dissociation, and other psychological outcomes. Keywords: post-traumatic stress, PTSD, peritraumatic dissociative experiences, workplace stress
Levi et al. (Tue,) conducted a observational in Workplace stress and trauma (n=28). Workplace events (Routine Care, Stat Care, Interpersonal) vs. Baseline (idle) was evaluated on Change in heart rate variability (HRV) parameters (SDNN, RMSSD, HF, LF) from baseline to workplace events. ICU nurses experienced reductions in heart rate variability parameters (SDNN, RMSSD, and HF) during Stat and Routine care events, indicating significant physiological stress responses to workplace activities.