title: Benchmarking occupational stressors and strain levels for rural nurses and other health sector workers.
abstract: This study was conducted with 1097 employees (866 females, 217 males, 14 did not indicate gender) in a regional Health Service District who completed the Queensland Public Agency Staff Survey in 2002. Nurses' results on measures of organizational climate and psychological outcomes were compared with those of other employees in the Health Service District. Nurses reported less favourable outcomes on all but one of the organizational climate scales, and also were found to have more distress (strain), and lower levels of morale, Job Satisfaction and Quality of Worklife than others. Results were generally less favourable for nurses working in the large regional hospital and in mental health than for nurses in other facilities. The study has implications for recruiting and retaining nurses at a time when shortages within the profession are chronic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Southern Queensland, Queensland, Australia. albionm@usq.edu.au
authors.forename: Majella J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Albion
authors.forename: Gerard J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Fogarty
authors.forename: M Anthony
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Machin
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D019985:Benchmarking / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009013:Morale; D020380:Needs Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D016272:Occupational Health; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010560:Personnel Selection; D011788:Quality of Life; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology