Prevalence and associated factors of stress among primary health care nurses in Saudi Arabia, a multi-center study.

BACKGROUND: Nursing practice has been identified as one of the most stressful professions within the healthcare systems. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence of stress and its associated factors among primary healthcare nurses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 Saudi nurses in the government primary health care centers in Medina city, Saudi Arabia. Stress was measured by the stress subscale of the 21-Item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale. Sources of stress were assessed by 15 items. RESULTS: The majority were females (68.0%) and aged less than 40 years (72.5%). Thirty percent had severe or very severe stress. Stress was associated significantly with the presence of chronic diseases (P = 0.037) and with working in night shifts (P = 0.042). All sources of stress in the workplace were associated significantly and positively with stress (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: About one-third of the participants had stress. Improving work conditions and minimizing stress in the workplace should be a priority in the primary health care setting.

Burnout among nurses working in the primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia, a multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Burnout is a common psychosocial phenomenon among nursing. It has been attributed to prolonged exposure to stress in the work place. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of burnout among nurses in the primary health care centers in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 nurses by using a self-administered questionnaire. Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) was used to measure burnout. RESULTS: Most participants were females (73.0%) and aged ≤35 years (52.0%). About 39% had high emotional exhaustion, 38% had high depersonalization and 85.5% had low personal accomplishment. About 89% (178) scored high at least on one subscale of burnout. Burnout was associated with age, educational level and sources of stress in the workplace. CONCLUSION: Level of burnout among nurses was high and was associated mainly with stressors in the workplace. Improving work environment and management of stress in the workplace should be a priority to minimize burnout among nurses.