Nursing is a stressful job. This occupational stress can have negative consequences in terms of nurses’ physical and psychological health as well as for healthcare organizations and the community. Yet little is known about identifying sources of occupational stress and reducing it.
This study took place in Austrailia.
The goal of this study was to identify, from the nurses’ perspective, the: (1) nurse occupational stressors, including aspects of the design environment, and (2) ways in which the organization can reduce nurse occupation-related stress.
Happell, B., Dwyer, T., Reid-Searl, K., Burke, K. J., Caperchione, C. M. & Gaskin, C. J. audio-taped the interviews and transcribed them verbatim. They used the transcripts and field notes as the material for the analysis. They used inductive content analysis to provide a rich description of participants’ experiences.
The study identified the following sources of stress: high workloads, unavailability of doctors, unsupportive management, human resource issues, interpersonal issues, patients’ relatives, shift work, car parking, handover procedures, no common area for nurses, not progressing at work, and patient mental health.
The study identified the following ways to reduce stress: workload modification, non-ward-based initiatives, changing shift hours, forwarding suggestions for change, music, special events, organizational development, ensuring nurses get breaks, massage therapists, acknowledgement from management, and leadership within wards.
In addition the study findings point to the need to understand local perspectives and the importance of involving nurses in creating initiatives to reduce occupational stress. Increased understanding of occupational stressors and engaging nurses in developing stress-reduction initiatives can enhance healthcare environments.
The authors note that the qualitative nature of this research limits the extent to which the results can be generalized, particularly because the research setting was located in a regional area. They recommend that future research focus on a range of geographical locations to better understand environmental factors on nursing stress.