Assessment of workplace stress factors among nurses in hospital environments
Abstract
Workplace stress represents a significant challenge for healthcare workers, negatively aff ecting their physical and mental well-being as well as the quality of patient care. Identifying the main causes of stress is essential to developing eff ective management strategies in hospital settings. This quantitative study surveyed 140 nurses across various hospital departments (emergency, surgery, intensive care, and internal medicine) using a structured, anonymous questionnaire. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics and graphical methods to identify the most frequent and impactful stress factors. Findings revealed that high workload, lack of support from colleagues and management, and inadequate working conditions were the primary sources of stress among nurses. Notably, nurses in emergency and intensive care units experienced the highest levels of stress. The study confirms that workplace stress is a prevalent and serious issue in hospital environments, especially in high-intensity departments. Sustainable, well-de - signed interventions are necessary to improve healthcare workers’ well-being and ensure the delivery of high-quality patient care in healthcare institutions.Keywords:
workplace stress, nurses, hospital institutions, stress factors, stress managementDownloads
References
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American Psychological Association. 2023. “Stress Effects on the Body.” https://www.apa.org.
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Bynum, W. 2008. The History of Medicine: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
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Chapter, A. 2016. “Nursing Ethics and Patient Care.” Nursing Perspectives.
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Cooper, C. L., P. J. Dewe, and M. P. O’Driscoll. 2001. Organizational Stress: A Review and Critique of Theory, Research, and Applications. Sage.
-
Denmark, R. 2019. “The Mental Health of Nurses: Supporting Caregivers.” Clinical Nursing Research.
-
Fee, E., and M. E. Garofalo. 2010. “Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War.” American Journal of Public Health 100(9):1591. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.185181.
-
Hofstede, G. 2001. Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. 2nd ed. Sage.
-
Karasek, R., and T. Theorell. 1990. Healthy Work: Stress, Productivity, and the Reconstruction of Working Life. Basic Books.
-
Lazarus, R. S., and S. Folkman. 1984. Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. Springer Publishing Company.
-
Loudon, I. 1992. Medical Care and the General Practitioner 1750–1850. Oxford University Press.
-
McEwen, B. S. 1998. “Stress, Adaptation, and Disease: Allostasis and Allostatic Load.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 840(1):33–44. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x.
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Porter, R. 1997. The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity from Antiquity to the Present. HarperCollins.
-
Sapolsky, R. M. 2004. Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. 3rd ed. Henry Holt and Company.
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Selye, H. 1956. The Stress of Life. McGraw-Hill.
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White, M. 2000. “Emotional Burden of Patient Care in Nursing.” Journal of Clinical Practice.
-
Wunderlich, S. 1996. “Understanding Health Systems and Staff Motivation.” Health Policy Journal.
-
Ahmed, R., J. Smith, and K. Lee. 2023. “Staffing Shortages and Occupational Stress Among Hospital Nurses: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Nursing Studies 135:104312. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104312.
-
Andrews, B. 2017. “Workplace Stress: A Review of the Literature.” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 22(2):138–150. doi:10.1037/ocp0000032.
-
Aydın, S., and L. Dinç. 2022. “The Impact of Workload on Nurse Performance: A Study on Stress and Quality of Care.” Journal of Nursing Management 30(4):1234–1245. doi:10.1111/jonm.13456.
-
De Jonge, J., and M. F. Dollard. 2002. “Stress in the Workplace: Theory and Practice.” Australian Psychologist 37(2):102–108. doi:10.1080/00050060210001706891.
-
DeFrank, R. S., and C. L. Cooper. 1987. “Worksite Stress Management Interventions: Their Effectiveness and Conceptualization.” Journal of Managerial Psychology 2(1):4–10. doi:10.1108/eb043356.
-
Edwards, D., P. Burnard, D. Coyle, A. Fothergill, and B. Hannigan. 2000. “Stress and Coping Strategies of Newly Qualified Nurses.” Journal of Advanced Nursing 32(1):24–31. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01421.x.
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Evans, G. W., and P. Kim. 2007. “Childhood Poverty and Health: Cumulative Risk Exposure and Stress Dysregulation.” Psychological Science 18(11):953–957. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.02008.x.
-
Gosling, R. 2015. “Emotional Intelligence and Resilience: Strategies for Coping with Workplace Stress.” Nursing Standard 30(2):49–56. doi:10.7748/ns.30.2.49.e8931.
-
Hassen, A. 2016. “Workload and Stress Among Hospital Nurses.” Ethiopian Journal of Health Development.
-
Karasek, R. A. 1979. “Job Demands, Job Decision Latitude, and Mental Strain: Implications for Job Redesign.” Administrative Science Quarterly 24(2):285–308. doi:10.2307/2392498.
-
Klein, L. C., and M. J. Sliwinski. 2012. “Daily Stress and Cognitive Function: Associations and Mechanisms.” Current Directions in Psychological Science 21(4):215–220. doi:10.1177/0963721412449656.
-
Lupien, S. J., B. S. McEwen, M. R. Gunnar, and C. Heim. 2009. “Effects of Stress Throughout the Lifespan on the Brain, Behaviour and Cognition.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10(6):434–445. doi:10.1038/nrn2639.
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McEwen, B. S. 2006. “Protective and Damaging Effects of Stress Mediators: Central Role of the Brain.” Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience 8(4):367–381.
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Shanafelt, T. D., et al. 2015. “Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction with Work-Life Balance in Physicians and the General U.S. Working Population Between 2011 and 2014.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings 90(12):1600–1613.
-
Stansfeld, S., and B. Candy. 2006. “Psychological Work Environment and Mental Health: A Meta-analytic Review.” Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health 32(6):443–462.
-
Thomas, P. 2008. “Organizational Structure and Stress in Hospitals.” Journal of Health Services Research. Rezarta Tota, Xhejni Kurti, Mirela Tushe
References
American Psychological Association. 2023. “Stress Effects on the Body.” https://www.apa.org.
Bynum, W. 2008. The History of Medicine: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Chapter, A. 2016. “Nursing Ethics and Patient Care.” Nursing Perspectives.
Cooper, C. L., P. J. Dewe, and M. P. O’Driscoll. 2001. Organizational Stress: A Review and Critique of Theory, Research, and Applications. Sage.
Denmark, R. 2019. “The Mental Health of Nurses: Supporting Caregivers.” Clinical Nursing Research.
Fee, E., and M. E. Garofalo. 2010. “Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War.” American Journal of Public Health 100(9):1591. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2009.185181.
Hofstede, G. 2001. Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. 2nd ed. Sage.
Karasek, R., and T. Theorell. 1990. Healthy Work: Stress, Productivity, and the Reconstruction of Working Life. Basic Books.
Lazarus, R. S., and S. Folkman. 1984. Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. Springer Publishing Company.
Loudon, I. 1992. Medical Care and the General Practitioner 1750–1850. Oxford University Press.
McEwen, B. S. 1998. “Stress, Adaptation, and Disease: Allostasis and Allostatic Load.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 840(1):33–44. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09546.x.
Porter, R. 1997. The Greatest Benefit to Mankind: A Medical History of Humanity from Antiquity to the Present. HarperCollins.
Sapolsky, R. M. 2004. Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. 3rd ed. Henry Holt and Company.
Selye, H. 1956. The Stress of Life. McGraw-Hill.
White, M. 2000. “Emotional Burden of Patient Care in Nursing.” Journal of Clinical Practice.
Wunderlich, S. 1996. “Understanding Health Systems and Staff Motivation.” Health Policy Journal.
Ahmed, R., J. Smith, and K. Lee. 2023. “Staffing Shortages and Occupational Stress Among Hospital Nurses: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Nursing Studies 135:104312. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104312.
Andrews, B. 2017. “Workplace Stress: A Review of the Literature.” Journal of Occupational Health Psychology 22(2):138–150. doi:10.1037/ocp0000032.
Aydın, S., and L. Dinç. 2022. “The Impact of Workload on Nurse Performance: A Study on Stress and Quality of Care.” Journal of Nursing Management 30(4):1234–1245. doi:10.1111/jonm.13456.
De Jonge, J., and M. F. Dollard. 2002. “Stress in the Workplace: Theory and Practice.” Australian Psychologist 37(2):102–108. doi:10.1080/00050060210001706891.
DeFrank, R. S., and C. L. Cooper. 1987. “Worksite Stress Management Interventions: Their Effectiveness and Conceptualization.” Journal of Managerial Psychology 2(1):4–10. doi:10.1108/eb043356.
Edwards, D., P. Burnard, D. Coyle, A. Fothergill, and B. Hannigan. 2000. “Stress and Coping Strategies of Newly Qualified Nurses.” Journal of Advanced Nursing 32(1):24–31. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01421.x.
Evans, G. W., and P. Kim. 2007. “Childhood Poverty and Health: Cumulative Risk Exposure and Stress Dysregulation.” Psychological Science 18(11):953–957. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.02008.x.
Gosling, R. 2015. “Emotional Intelligence and Resilience: Strategies for Coping with Workplace Stress.” Nursing Standard 30(2):49–56. doi:10.7748/ns.30.2.49.e8931.
Hassen, A. 2016. “Workload and Stress Among Hospital Nurses.” Ethiopian Journal of Health Development.
Karasek, R. A. 1979. “Job Demands, Job Decision Latitude, and Mental Strain: Implications for Job Redesign.” Administrative Science Quarterly 24(2):285–308. doi:10.2307/2392498.
Klein, L. C., and M. J. Sliwinski. 2012. “Daily Stress and Cognitive Function: Associations and Mechanisms.” Current Directions in Psychological Science 21(4):215–220. doi:10.1177/0963721412449656.
Lupien, S. J., B. S. McEwen, M. R. Gunnar, and C. Heim. 2009. “Effects of Stress Throughout the Lifespan on the Brain, Behaviour and Cognition.” Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10(6):434–445. doi:10.1038/nrn2639.
McEwen, B. S. 2006. “Protective and Damaging Effects of Stress Mediators: Central Role of the Brain.” Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience 8(4):367–381.
Shanafelt, T. D., et al. 2015. “Changes in Burnout and Satisfaction with Work-Life Balance in Physicians and the General U.S. Working Population Between 2011 and 2014.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings 90(12):1600–1613.
Stansfeld, S., and B. Candy. 2006. “Psychological Work Environment and Mental Health: A Meta-analytic Review.” Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health 32(6):443–462.
Thomas, P. 2008. “Organizational Structure and Stress in Hospitals.” Journal of Health Services Research. Rezarta Tota, Xhejni Kurti, Mirela Tushe
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