Abstract
Hospital A is supposed to assume the role of a core hospital in the district, treating patients having an acute illness or injury. Nurses in the hospital are extremely busy due to the shortage of nurses and a high turnover rate. In this paper, we report the results of a survey we performed to find the degree of stress the nurses are suffering from in their workplace.
The survey was conducted by distributing questionnaires to registered nurses and practical nurses excluding head and deputy head nurses. Sources of stress were classified into four categories -- workload, type of work, interpersonal relationships and private matters? and generational differences were examined.
The results showed that, for the nurses young and old alike, “workload” was the number one source of stress, followed by “type of work.” The major factor in stress are conceivably the pressure of time. Hospital nurses are intensely busy with tending the sick, always keeping in mind patients’ conditions, assisting physicians, ensuring patients’ safety, making contact with other departments and so on. It appeared that they always racing against the clock. “Interpersonal relationships’ came third as the major source of stress. It was surmised that many nurses were dissatisfied with the present state. They do not have enough time to keep personal contact with their patients, to develop better communication with the physicians or to establish better relationship with their superiors or colleagues. Stress from the No. 4 stress source -- i.e., private matters -- seemed to weigh heavily on the mind of the nurses in their 30s to 40s, many of whom are considered to be married. They are stressed out in the conflict between their role as mother and wife and their role in the workplace. Against their wishes, their time is occupied with many tasks in the hospital. Moreover, the participation in training programs, night duty and overtime work must cause them to feel stressed greatly.
Based on our findings, we concluded that it would be possible to reduce stress on the job by making worker-friendly environment through mutual help and cooperation with colleagues who are also experiencing a great deal of stress.
