Die Auswirkungen von Stress auf die Gesundheit der Mitarbeiter –stressbezogene Arbeitsanalyse für Klinikärzte

Based on a stress model from occupational psychology, the stressors and ressources present in the daily work routine of surgeons at a university hospital in german-speaking countries were recorded. Interventions were designed and applied, and followed up by a second interview, using the same questionnaire on the same sample, and followed up by project evaluation.
The project was initiated by, through written questionaries, recording current state and demand for residents, fellows and attending physicians, supplemented by a qualitative, subjective health analysis, goal setting and definition of targeted interventions in so-called 'health circles'. Individual goal setting integrated the results obtained from the questionaires, health analyses and health circle results. Three additional interventions were selected based on their effects on stress and empathy: yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for stress reduction plus a third intervention based on nonviolent communication.
The results confirm previous data, which have defined surgeons as a particularly stress-prone subgroup. The results suggest the effectiveness of preventive measures, especially for residents. Plausibility of the interventions is the most important precondition for physicians‘ active involvement in corporate health management. Medical professionals are easy to be included and share their knowledge when they consider the interventions reasonable, easily integrated with their work routines and applied in a timely manner in small group settings, while supervisors assume critical roles for a healthy work environment. Altogether, a direct connection between occupational culture, leadership behaviour and employee health was evident. Managing corporate health and prevention does not equal the generic application of theoretical models to just any facility and situation, following current trends or best practice examples without taking into account individual preconditions. An evidence-based corporate health management requires a solid theoretical basis, a substantial investment in time, effort and courage to honestly assess individual preconditions and needs in detail and act accordingly, and to also provide the results and feedback for further research.