The development of a tool to assess levels of stress and burnout.
OBJECTIVE
To pilot test the reliability and validity of a newly developed tool measuring nursing and midwifery staff stress and burnout.


METHODS
Descriptive survey.


METHODS
Public hospital, aged care facility and university.


METHODS
For the pilot study a total of forty-nine (n = 49) nurses and midwives, selected by convenience sampling, were sent an initial pilot questionnaire. The return rate was seventy per cent initially and the return rate on the second mail out was forty-nine per cent.


METHODS
To determine reliability and validity of a new tool that explores nurses' and midwives' perceptions of stress, burnout and control over their working environment.


RESULTS
Face validity, test-retest reliability, internal consistency and principal component analysis were established. Overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.87 indicating good internal consistency for the stress/ burnout element of the questionnaire. The test-retest reliability intraclass correlation coefficient reported 0.30 - 0.90 for all six sub scales which were developed for both parts of the questionnaire.


CONCLUSIONS
The pilot study indicates that it is possible to construct a valid and reliable instrument to assess nurses' and midwives' perception of stress and burnout.
Northern Sydney Central Coast Health, New South Wales, Australia. vskinner@nsccahs.health.nsw.gov.au
Virginia
V
Skinner
Kingsley
K
Agho
Trish
T
Lee-White
Judy
J
Harris
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008875:Middle Aged; D009721:Nurse Midwives / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009735:Nursing Homes; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017009:Professional Autonomy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014495:Universities; D017132:Workplace / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology