Abstract:
This study was conducted to describe perceived occupational stressors, coping strategies, and burnout levels of nurses working in Tamale Teaching Hospital. Participants comprised of 123 males and 207 females (N =330). The study utilized a descriptive design, adapting the stress, coping, and burnout theoretic al frameworks of Seyle, Lazarus, Folkman, and Maslach. One set of survey instrument was designed by the researcher to collect data from the target population. The instrument consisted of four parts, which were adapted and modified from: Devilliers, Carson, and Leary (DCL) stress scale; Psych Nurse Methods of Coping Questionnaire (PNMCQ); Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)-Human Service Survey (HSS). The results indicated that the majority of nurses in the study were experiencing moderate levels of stress or moderate levels of burnout. The findings suggested that quality care issues were important factors in determining stress levels, and informal approaches were preferred as methods of coping with these occupational stressors. This research becomes a baseline from which to address the problem of stress among nurses working in Tamale Teaching Hospital since it is the first of its kind. To improve the quality of worklife for nurses, I recommend that Nurse Administrators in general and particularly those of Tamale Teaching Hospital should pay attention to quality care issues since they are important factors determining stress levels of nurses. Finally, I recommend that the study could be replicated in other hospitals in the region and if possible the whole country.
