Several New York nurses say they lack the resources to get help for job-related mental health issues, a problem among nurses nationwide, according to amNY.com.
Seventeen percent of hospital nurses nationwide are depressed, a percentage nearly double that of the general population. Eighty-two percent said in an American Nurses Association survey that they had a high risk of workplace stress due to their job's physical demands. Twenty-five percent reported being physically assaulted by a patient or patient's family, and half have been bullied.
Although many New York employers provide nurses with employee assistance programs for short-term counseling, these programs are not regulated and are not always confidential. The lack of support impacts both nurses and patients, according to Lisa Baum, occupational safety and health representative for New York State Nurses Association. Eleven percent of nurses report having made mistakes due to work stress and fatigue, according to one study.
A few hospitals have tried to improve the situation. Mount Sinai Health System, NewYork Presbyterian and Montefiore, all based in New York City, made a deal with NYSNA in April to hire 1,450 new nurses and set minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.