The study of the psychological effects of emergency units on nurses

Emergency service is a unit that provides uninterrupted health care and emergency medical services. Emergency room nurses are exposed to more intense work stress compared to their colleagues working in other units. This study was conducted as a descriptive study in order to examine the work stress experienced by nurses in the Emergency Service of a State Hospital in Iraq and the Psychological Problems Related to It. Within the scope of the study, 120 nurses were interviewed. A data collection form with 56 questions was prepared by the researchers to examine the psychological effects of work stress on nurses. The questions on this form were asked to the nurses. Nurses complain about the working conditions of the emergency service, working hours, not meeting professional expectations, economic conditions, communication problems with patients and their relatives, and exposure to violence. In this study, emergency room nurses working in a State Hospital in Iraq were asked to answer questions about the psychological effects of emergency units. Frequency (number, percentage) analyzes were used in the presentation of the data obtained from the research. 68.3% of them had poor mental health, 87.5% needed depression medication, and 46.7% had experienced verbal or physical violence from patients and their relatives while working in the emergency room. 75% of nurses believe that a person can develop a mental disorder because of their job, 90% are satisfied with working conditions in the emergency room, 84.2% believe they are appreciated for their work in the emergency room, and 95% feel very stressed at work. In the study, suggestions such as improving the working conditions of nurses, shortening the working hours, increasing the number of nurses, institutionalizing the nursing profession, giving importance to specialty training, improving economic conditions, and giving importance to volunteering are included in the study. Key Words: Emergency Unit, Hospital, Nurse, Job Stress, Psychological Effects, Shatrah