OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG NURSING STAFF AND PERCEPTION REGARDING THE WORK ENVIRONMENT: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational stress has been closely linked with healthcare professionals, including

Nurses. The strenuous workload in the profession not only impacts the care of the patients but also

hampers their own physical and Mental health. Thus, this study aimed to study the stressors of the work

environment and their impact on their overall health. Methods: An Institutional Based Cross-Sectional

Study was conducted among all the nursing staff working in a tertiary hospital in Gurugram. A predesigned

and pre-tested questionnaire covering their details, socio-demographic details, perception

towards the work environment and impact of the job on their psycho-social health was made. The stress

level was measured by the Professional Life Stress scale given by David Fontana, The British

Psychological Society and Routledge. Ltd, Leicester, England,1989. Data analysis was done in

Microsoft Excel Sheet and Epi-info. Results: In this study, on the stress scale, 47.14% reported

moderate stress, 38.57% mentioned that stress was a problem, and 10% reported stress as a major

problem in their lives. Stress was not a problem among 4.28% of the Nursing Staff only. Among the

socio-demographic variables, married nursing staff and the increasing stress score were found to be

significant.(p<0.05) Conclusion: Stress was a crucial issue among 47.14 % of the nursing staff. 54.29%

of people wanted more from their work environment. Thus, the stress induced due to work culture

should be taken care of so that they can be physically and mentally efficient at work