Relationship between Quality of Work Life and Job Stress among Nurses in Critical Care Units

Abstract

Background: Quality of work life is defined as an opportunity to exercise one’s talents and capacities and to face challenges and situations that require independent initiative and self-direction. It is also an activity thought to be worthwhile by the individuals’ involved. Aim of the study: to assess quality of working life and job stress and determined the relationship of quality work life and the job stress of nurses in the Critical care unit in health insurance hospitals. Research design: A descriptive correlational research design. Sample: A purposeful sample of (80) male and female nurses was included in the study. Setting: conducted at Health Insurance Hospital in Minia City. Tools of data collection: included two tools, tool І: included a personal data, the work related background sheet, and Quality of working life of nurses Questionnaire and Tool ІІ: Job stress scale. Results: the results of this study indicated that more than two thirds of staff nurses who worked in the critical care units were have highly satisfied about work context followed by two fifth of them have high work life then less than one quarter of them have satisfied aboutwork world and the minority were have satisfied about quality of work and work design. Regarding causes of job stress among staff nurses working in the critical care units near to three quarters of them agreed that the working-hours do not fit with their personal life, followed by more than half of them mentioned work shifts are changing frequently, salary does not match with the required tasks and limited opportunities for enhancement and development in this hospital. Conclusion: there was a significant negative fair correlation between staff nurses’ quality of work life perception and their job stress Also, there were increased in mean scores of job stress with low level of work design, work life, work context, work world and total work quality of work life. Recommendation: Educational Training to improve communication system, performance evaluation, hospital policies, health work environment.