STRESS IN MEDICAL EDUCATORS

Abstract

Background: Workplace or occupational stress are harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when there is anapparent mismatch between what doctors are trained for and what they are required to do. Data on workplace stress experienced by medicaleducators is scarce. Objective: To asses stress in medical educators and its job related predictors. Setting:Lahore Medical & Dental College(LMDC), Lahore and its affiliated Ghurki Trust Teaching Hospital (GTTH). Period: Three months, between January and March2009.Methods:A cross sectional survey was conducted. A structured questionnaire for background information and Workplace Stress Scale(WSS) were the data collection tools to survey 110 medical educators. Data was recorded and analyzed in SPSS 16. Chi Square test with p ≤0.05 as the cut- off point was applied for statistical significance. Results: Stress was present in 94% of respondents, with 21% having severestress. Age had statistically significant bearing on stress status (p=0.02), severity of stress (p=0.04), designation (p= <0.001) and monthlyearnings (p= <0.001). Main workplace stressors included inadequate control (96%), difficulty in expressing opinions (70%), unsafe workingconditions (66%), work overload and un-realistic deadlines (62%) and job pressures interfering with life (59%). Workplace motivators includedfull utilization of skills and ability for 97% (p=<0.001) and recognition or reward for good performance for 84% (p=0.06). Conclusions: Medicaleducators at LMDC, especially at junior level, reported high levels of both frequency and intensity of stress which need to be controlled.Autonomy and reward for good performance were motivational for our respondents.