Investigation of some occupational stressors among nurses

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, occupational stress is one of the most important occupational risk factors that can cause a decrease in production and bring about work absence, human resources shift, job dissatisfaction and high health costs among the staff. American National Occupational Safety Association has reported nursing as the first among other 40 stressful occupations. There are numerous occupational stressors in nursing occupation. The present study has targeted at defining the severity of nursing stressors among nurses. This is a descriptive correlational study. The sampling was conducted as random stratified method on 170 nurses working in different wards of medical university hospitals, being well qualified to enter the study. Toft-Anderson questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were analyzed through SPSS regarding frequency distribution, mean and spearman coefficient test. The findings showed that most of the nurses [47-73%] experience moderate stress. In addition, there was a positive statistical association between the scores of each item with total occupational stress. The item of having interaction with physicians had the highest association with total nursing occupational stress. There was a significant association between demographic characteristics, marital status and working hours and occupational stressors [P<0.001]. Regarding the findings of the research, manipulating appropriate preventive methods in both sides of the staff and the organization is suggested to diminish nursing occupational stress