Nurses experience psychosocial work stress that may negatively affect physical and mental health over time. In this cross-sectional study we investigated prevalence of job stress and oxidative stress in nurses, and determined if significant relationships exist between higher job stress scores and demographic factors and working conditions. Emergency department nurses (n = 42) were recruited from a University Hospital following Institutional Review Board approval. Job stress indicators, effort–reward ratio and overcommitment were evaluated from survey questionnaires using the effort–reward imbalance model, and associations with age, sex, body mass index, and working conditions were measured by logistic regression analysis. Oxidative stress biomarkers, 8-isoprostane, malondialdehyde, and antioxidant levels were measured from urine specimens. Job stress was prevalent with effort–reward ratio > 1 in 93% and overcommitment > 50 in 83% of the study participants. Age, body mass index, years of experience, weekend work, work hours per week, and shift work showed strong associations with effort–reward ratio and overcommitment scores. Malondialdehyde was higher in participants with high overcommitment. We report that psychosocial job stress is prevalent among nurses, as revealed by the high effort–reward and overcommitment scores. Job stress may be reduced through implementation of appropriate stress reduction interventions.

Nearly 50% of older adults experience difficulty with sleeping, and 21% of older adults also experience cognitive complaints to which sleep difficulties can also contribute to poorer cognitive functioning. Combined, such sleep difficulties and age-related cognitive declines can contribute to poorer performance on everyday activities necessary for independence, quality of life, and successful aging. Activities that may be especially compromised are driving, instrumental activities of daily living, and employment. In nursing practice, it is necessary to understand the relationship between sleep and cognition and what contributes to poorer sleep hygiene and cognitive functioning, whether it is medications and polypharmacy, comorbidities, habits and lifestyle factors, or negative mood. Such an understanding can help nurses provide evidence-based interventions to improve sleep and cognition in older patients. In research, nurses must devise and test ways to improve sleep hygiene and cognitive functioning in older patients with methods such as sleep hygiene education and speed-of-processing training to ameliorate everyday functioning and quality of life.

Background: People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occasionally develop acute exacerbation of COPD—a potentially fatal condition. Psychological distress was associated with acute exacerbation of COPD. However, the evidence on the effect of psychological distress on acute exacerbation of COPD remains unclear. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the influence of psychological distress on acute exacerbation of COPD and its consequences. Methods: The current review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines using three databases (PubMed, CINAHL, and PsyINFO) that were searched to identify relevant articles. Pooled risk ratios and 95% confidential interval were calculated from the included studies’ data with random-effect methods to estimate the effect of psychological distress on acute exacerbation of COPD and its consequences. Results: Nineteen articles were included in the review. Most revealed that psychological distress was significantly associated with increased risk of acute exacerbation of COPD and its consequences. The meta-analyses showed that psychological distress increased risk of acute exacerbation of COPD, COPD-related hospitalization, and death. Conclusion: Psychological distress had negative effects on acute exacerbation of COPD and its consequences. The results of the meta-analyses show that persons with COPD and psychological distress had a greater risk of acute exacerbation of COPD, hospitalization, and death.

Reducing distracters detrimental to commercial truck driving is a critical component of improving the safety performance of commercial drivers, and makes the highways safer for all drivers. This study used a driving simulator to examine effects of cell phone, texting, and email distractions as well as self-reported driver optimism bias on the driving performance of commercial truck drivers. Results revealed that more visually demanding tasks were related to poorer driving performance. However, the cell phone task resulted in less off-the-road eye glances. Drivers reporting being “very skilled” displayed poorer driving performance than those reporting being “skilled.” Onboard communication devices provide a practical, yet visually and manually demanding, solution for connecting drivers and dispatchers. Trucking company policies should minimize interaction between dispatchers and drivers when the truck is in motion. Training facilities should integrate driving simulators into the instruction of commercial drivers, targeting over-confident drivers.