Occupational stress among hospital nurses: cross-sectional survey.
OBJECTIVE
This paper is a report of a study conducted to explore factors associated with occupational stress among female hospital nurses in China.


BACKGROUND
Nursing is a highly stressful occupation, and high levels of occupational stress are believed to affect the physical and mental health of nurses. Occupational stress among nurses is the result of exposure to a combination of working environment and personal factors.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2008. The study population consisted of 2613 female nurses from 20 hospitals in the Liaoning province of China. Occupational stress was measured by questionnaires that included the Chinese version of Personal Strain Questionnaire, and data were collected on respondents' demographics, working situations, occupational roles, and personal resources. Of the nurses solicited for enrolment in the study, 79.2% returned the completed questionnaire. A general linear regression model was applied to analyse the factors associated with occupational stress.


RESULTS
Mean Personal Strain Questionnaire score was 86.9, and this score was correlated, in descending order of standardized estimate, with role boundary, role insufficiency, responsibility, social support, self-care, nurse-patient relationship, chronic disease, role overload, rational coping and night shift.


CONCLUSIONS
Role boundary and role insufficiency were the factors that had the highest association with occupational stress. Occupational health education and occupational training programmes may be necessary to improve the knowledge and ability of nurses to cope with job demands and reduce occupational stress.
Wu
Hui
H
Department of Social Medicine, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.
Chi
Tie-Shuang
TS
Chen
Li
L
Wang
Lie
L
Jin
Ya-Ping
YP
D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires