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. 2018 Feb;60(2):126-131.
doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001198.

A National Study Links Nurses' Physical and Mental Health to Medical Errors and Perceived Worksite Wellness

Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk  1 , Liana Orsolini, Alai Tan, Cynthia Arslanian-Engoren, Gail D'Eramo Melkus, Jacqueline Dunbar-Jacob, Virginia Hill Rice, Angelica Millan, Sandra B Dunbar, Lynne T Braun, JoEllen Wilbur, Deborah A Chyun, Kate Gawlik, Lisa M Lewis
Affiliations

A National Study Links Nurses' Physical and Mental Health to Medical Errors and Perceived Worksite Wellness

Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk et al. J Occup Environ Med. 2018 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe (1) nurses' physical and mental health; (2) the relationship between health and medical errors; and (3) the association between nurses' perceptions of wellness support and their health.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted with 1790 nurses across the U.S.

Results: Over half of the nurses reported suboptimal physical and mental health. Approximately half of the nurses reported having medical errors in the past 5 years. Compared with nurses with better health, those with worse health were associated with 26% to 71% higher likelihood of having medical errors. There also was a significant relationship between greater perceived worksite wellness and better health.

Conclusion: Wellness must be a high priority for health care systems to optimize health in clinicians to enhance high-quality care and decrease the odds of costly preventable medical errors.

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