Prevalence of Job Stress and Drug Use in Nurses Working in Teaching Hospitals in Bandar Abbas

Abstract

Background: Stress, as the most common issue in human life, has become one of the characteristics of modern life. Nurses, due to the challenging nature of their profession, are constantly exposed to stress. According to studies, job stress is related to smoking. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of drug use and its relationship with job stress in nurses in Bandar Abbas. Materials and Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytical survey. The statistical population included all nurses working in hospitals affiliated to Hormozgan University of Medical Sciences in 2018 with a sample size of 488 people. Data collection tools included a demographic characteristics questionnaire, the active and inactive drug use questionnaire, and the Osipow Job Stress questionnaire. SPSS version 19.0 was used for data analysis. Results: The mean score of job stress was 179.16±31.55 in men and 177.44±24.39 in women. According to the Mann-Whitney test, there was a significant difference between the levels of tobacco use and levels of marriage in terms of stress scores (P=0.001). There was a significant inverse correlation between age and stress (P=0.001). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that nurses, due to their stressful job, can be constantly exposed to high-risk behaviors to address these stresses and conflicts; therefore, policymakers should develop well-written programs to address these pressures.