Identification and analysis of stress factors at nursing workplace: A comparative study of four clinical departments

Abstract

Several studies show that nursing is, by its very nature, an occupation exposed to a high degree of stress. The main aims of the present research were to analyze the presence and to identify occupational stress factors and assess stress levels among nurses in clinical/hospital settings. The research was conducted as a cross-sectional study. The sample included nurses (n=205) employed in different settings, who were also control groups to each other. Expanded Nursing Stress Scale and an additional questionnaire created for the purpose of this investigation were used as research instruments. The results show that stressful situations, in the psychological occupational environment are the greatest stress factors regardless of the workplace: in regard to sociodemographic determinants, married nurses have significantly higher average values as compared to unmarried ones (p<0.05), and the values statistically significantly lower in nurses under 30 years of age, with less than 10 years of work experience (p<0.01). Workload is a potential stress factor from the physical environment, whereas average values of this stress factor highly statistically differ in regard to the workplace (p<0.01). Nurses working in settings without support from their superiors and engaged in inter-professional conflicts, especially between nurses and physicians, face a great problem. It is important to promote conditions of work (work space, providing new equipment), organization of work, as well as social relationships, which is in accordance with the recommendations of ICN.