Comfort at work, it’s worth it!
“There must be a minimum of comfort to practice virtue” said Saint Thomas d’Aquin. Can the same be said for the professional practice of the licensed practical nurse, the respiratory therapist or the nurse in the care setting? Is a minimum of comfort required for them to be able to properly fulfill their various and numerous tasks? We are convinced of this for the reasons given below.
First and foremost, what do we understand comfort at work to mean? Generally, this refers to situations or acts, postures and movements to execute are felt to be comfortable or, at least, not uncomfortable, without the healthcare professional having to use too much effort to protect her health and insure her safety. Comfort at work fosters a state of well-being, both physical and functional and psychological.
Take the example of a licensed practical nurse, working in long-term care, whose workload is too heavy. The equipment at her disposal is inadequate or obsolete, and she has to perform her tasks in a noisy, too hot or too cold environment. In addition to having stress related to her duties, she is at risk for compromising her health, safety and her performance because she is too concerned with seeking solutions to her various feelings of discomfort.
Similarly, a nurse in home care, who carries out a treatment in a poorly-lit, smoky and cluttered room, is likely in a hurry to finish her work in order to leave the premises as soon as possible, rather than first ask for better ventilation and room arrangement as well as an additional light source. It is the same for a respiratory therapist in the hospital setting who sees her organization of work turned upside down by risk factors present in her environment, but does not adjust her practice to protect her health and insure her safety.
In conclusion, an analysis of the situations at work, keeping in mind the environment, is crucial for insuring safe professional practice in the care setting. Taking responsibility for her comfort is an excellent means to prevent the occurrence of work accidents and occupational diseases such as musculoskeletal disorders. In other words, comfort at work, it’s worth it!
Do you know ?
There are comfortable positions for the joints that contribute to preventing musculoskeletal injuries (MSI), which are included in the MSI document: TMS : à la recherche des risques, produced by the ASSTSAS as part of its 2013 seminar: www.asstsas.qc.ca/documents/Publications/Repertoire%20de%20nos%20publications/Autres/Colloque2013_A3_TMS_recherche_risques.pdf.
An adoption of an overall approach to the work situation, which consists of analyzing all the elements and their inter-relationships greatly contribute to preventing employment injuries.
Your employer is obligated to take the necessary measures to protect your health, insure your safety and see to it that your work station is comfortable and ergonomic.
Comfort at work designates both a situation of safe equipment and the feeling of physical and psychological safety felt by the worker.
Comfort is an essential component of quality of life, health and organization of work. It has a direct impact on productivity, in particular.