Comparison of level of Stress among Bedside Nurses Working in Different Specialties at Private Sector Tertiary Care Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Stressful situation are among the challenging experiences especially in clinical setting. The aim of this study was to compare the level of work-related stress among nurses working in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), General ward and Emergency setting. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at different private tertiary hospitals of Karachi in 2017-2018. Two stage sampling technique including quota and convenient sampling technique was used to collect the data. A total of 225 participants were recruited. Pre-validated questionnaire was used which contained different stress related categories. Midwives, nursing assistants, part time nurses and nurses employed at management positions were excluded from the study. Data were presented as frequency and percentage and mean and standard deviation. The chi-square test was used for examine association of categorical variables. The SPSS used for data analysis. Results: The mean age of participants was 26.5±2.4 years. Stress among nurses working in emergency department was found to be highest in all categories. Management related stress was 77.3% and 69.3% due to criticism by supervisor and inadequate support by supervisor, respectively. Patient related stress was 72% and 64% due to health risk posed by patient contact and communication about death to patient. About 81.3% of the nurses of emergency department reported high level of stress due to covering work for another employee followed by 66.7% related to working overtime. Moreover, 86.7% and 62.7% of participants had high level of stress due to inadequate salary and lack of recognition. Conclusion:The study concludes that the level of stress varies within different departments in the hospitals. There are several work-related stressors that found more in Emergency department than ICU or General ward.

Stress level and associated factors among nurses working in the critical care unit and emergency rooms at comprehensive specialized hospitals in Southern Ethiopia, 2023: explanatory sequential mixed-method study

“…The odds of having high stress were 1.42 times higher in nurses who lacked medical equipment and supplies in ICUs and ERs than in those who had it. This was congruent with the findings of two studies conducted in Pakistan [ 14 , 25 ]. The possible reason for this might be the fact that when nurses in ICUs and ERs do not have enough medical equipment and supplies, they experience more stress because it is hard to provide care when there are not enough resources, such as personal protective equipment.…”

“…Those nurses who had high duty demands had 3.03 times the odds of having high stress than those who had low duty demands. This finding was similar to the study conducted in Pakistan [ 25 ]. This might be due to the increased workload and the emotional, cognitive, and physical demands of managing a higher volume of tasks, nurses who are faced with high-duty demands are more likely to have increased stress levels.…”

“…Those nurses who had limited time had 2.5 times the odds of having moderate stress than those who had sufficient time. This finding was congruent with the study conducted in Pakistan [ 25 ] and Saudi Arabia [ 4 ]. The possible reason for this might be due to time constraints, increased job demands, and the difficulties of managing critical care situations within short timeframes, which can result in moderate to higher levels of stress for nurses who have limited time.…”