Abstract
BackgroundUniversally, nurses have been reported to be a group at high risk of workplace stress. However, nurses’ responses to stressful situations at work could be the outcomes of individual differences and organisational factors.ObjectivesWe examined the independent and joint contributions of four dimensions of emotional intelligence and perceived organisational support in work stress of nurses in a teaching hospital in Nigeria.MethodsThe study was a cross-sectional survey research design, which selected 228 (41 male and 187 female nurses) nurses through the use of convenience sampling. Questionnaires comprising demographics with work stress, organisational support and emotional intelligence scales were administered to the sampled 228 nurses in the study. Data were analysed with the use of correlational matrix and hierarchical multiple regression.ResultsSelf-emotion appraisal, others’ emotion appraisal, use of emotion, regulation of emotion and perceived organisational support were found to have joint contributions to explaining work stress among nurses. Others’ emotion appraisal, use of emotion and perceived organisational support were found to have independent relationships with work stress.ConclusionOur findings stress that judgement of others’ emotions, accurate use of emotion by nurses and support from management of the hospital are most important in explaining their reactions towards work-related stress.
Highlights
Nurses have been reported to be a group at high risk of workplace stress
Considering the scoring and interpretation reported for the use of Workplace Stress Scale (WSS), where respondents with scores ranging from 21 to 25 are regarded as experiencing moderate levels of workplace stress, we reported that the group of nurses (M = 22.27) sampled in the current study were undergoing moderate levels of work stress
Observation of the maximum score reported by some respondents in each of these variables asserts the presence of emotional intelligence (Max. = 95.00) and organisational support (Max. = 44.00) in the sample
Summary
Nurses have been reported to be a group at high risk of workplace stress. Nurses may be exposed to many demanding responsibilities. It has been consistently documented in the literature globally that nurses experience higher levels of work-related stress (Colff & Rothmann 2014; Kamau, Medisauskaite & Lopes 2015; Okwaraji & Aguwa 2014). It was reported that 42% of nurses sampled were suffering from moderate to severe levels of stress on the job (Sharma et al 2014). Okwaraji and Aguwa (2014) reported a high level of emotional exhaustion among 42.9% of a sample of Nigerian nurses and that 53.8% of the respondents experienced reduced accomplishments, 47.6% experienced depersonalisation and 44.1% showed the presence of psychological distress. All the aforementioned studies confirm a high presence of work stress in the nursing population
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
