Occupational stress among nurses in a hospital setting in Ghana

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of occupational stress among nurses is an endemic problem. The study sought to determine the current level of occupational stress experienced by nurses through the use of the Weiman Occupational Stress Scale as well as determining the most common occupational stressors and stress reduction strategies identified by the nurses. Method and Material: A purposive sampling technique and a self-administered questionnaire were used to select 73 nurses from the nursing and midwifery department in the Hospital. Weiman Occupational Stress Scale and other measuring tools on occupational stress were used to measure the stress level of the Nurses. Descriptive statistics was also used to analyzed and give an overview of the data generated by the study population. Results: The study found out that nurses of the hospital were found to experience above average levels of occupational stress with the mean score and individual average score of 37.01 and 2.47 indicating a 10% higher than the established Weiman Occupational Stress Scale mean score of 33.75 and individual average of 2.25. The study also found that the most common stressors were workload, inadequate resources and conflicting demands whilst the most common strategies the workers used for managing stress were resorting to hobbies, I identifying the source of stress and avoiding unnecessary stress, managing time better, adjusting to standards and attitudes and expressing their feelings instead of bottling them up. Conclusion: Results from the study reinforced the proposition that nurses of the St. Dominic Hospital at Akwatia, Ghana experienced work-related stress above average. It is recommended that the nurses should be well educated to understand that the healthcare-specific operational demands are part of his or her job. However, high stressors may nonetheless continue to pose risks and these can be handled through the institution of formalized peer support and clinical guidance systems within the hospitals.