Work breaks and well-being: The effect of nature on hospital nurses.

Abstract

Nurses, especially in hospital settings, carry heavy work demands. This research focused on the role of work breaks, and particularly the use of the natural environment during work breaks, in nurses' well-being. Participants, 57 hospital nurses, were randomly assigned to six-week interventions differing in whether they were to take breaks in a nature setting. Assessment of attentional and spiritual well-being, as well as job satisfaction, was completed before and after the intervention. Self-care efforts and life demands were measured at baseline and interviews were conducted at the end of the study. Results paint a picture of committed, motivated individuals who rarely take allotted work breaks. Breaks that are taken typically occur on the unit and include patient- or unit-related work and socializing. Participants provided a litany of reasons why it is difficult to take breaks and almost impossible to go outside. These included external factors, such as patient acuity, staffing, and weather, and internal factors, such as the perception that taking a break burdens others and could be detrimental to patients. Nurses who took breaks in nature reported feeling refreshed, relaxed, and energized upon return---almost as if they were starting the day over again. Breaks from work and time in nature affected well-being in distinct ways. Participants who took breaks in nature had a significantly greater sense of wholeness than those who took breaks inside. Taking a work break, regardless of where, resulted in participants feeling more comfortable, relaxed, and less overwhelmed at work. Individuals who engaged in nature focused self-care outside of work, such as gardening or observing wildlife, expressed significantly less difficulty in concentrating on details of their work and also had greater sense of wholeness. Interestingly, life demands negatively predicted measures of spiritual well-being while measures of attentional well-being were unaffected. Findings provide insight into the value of work breaks and the role that interaction with the natural environment plays in well-being. Results have implications for the structure of work days and patient care duties, nurse retention, the physical design of health facilities, and management of natural areas.