Stressors in the Workplace: Community Health Nurses

Abstract

A survey questionnaire based on seven categories of stressors was completed by 67 community health nurses from three community health nursing agencies. Responses identified major sources of stress as factors associated with quantitative work overload, uncooperative family members and clients, unfamiliarity with situations, inability to reach physicians, and personal situations. These findings were corroborated by the nurses' responses to open-ended questions. The intensity of stressors was significantly different by age group in that older nurses experienced less stress. The findings of this study have implications for management of patients, organization of workloads, and policy decisions in community health nursing practice.

Role stress in nurses: Review of related factors and strategies for moving forward

“…Environmental factors highlighted by the studies included uncooperative family members and clients, inability to reach physicians and unfamiliarity with situations (e.g. Walcott-McQuigg & Ervin, 1992); concern for poor quality of nursing staff, medical staff and patient care (Scalzi, 1990); inability to deliver quality nursing care (Boswell, 1992); shift rotation (Robinson & Lewis, 1990); time demands and state laws restricting the ability to carry out the advanced practice role (Manderino et al ., 1994); poor relationships with supervisors, coworkers and physicians (Decker, 1997); and low organizational commitment (Lee & Henderson, 1996).…”

Investigation of the relationships among workplace stressors, ways of coping, and the mental health of Chinese head nurses

“…Some of the factors of work environment found to contribute to role stress in nurses include high job demands, low supportive work relationships (Chapman, 1993; Fong, 1993; Cheng et al ., 2000), dealing with death and dying, being moved among different patient‐care units within the organization, being short of essential resources, lack of job security, work overload (Hatcher & Laschinger, 1996; Murray, 1998), uncooperative family members and clients, inability to reach physicians, using new technology, unfamiliarity with situations (Walcott‐McQuigg & Ervin, 1992), competence in the nursing role (Michie et al ., 1996; Charnley, 1999), inability to deliver quality nursing care (Boswell, 1992), a perceived lack of job control (Glass et al ., 1993), time demands, state laws restricting the ability to carry out the advanced practice role (Manderino et al ., 1994), poor relationships with supervisors, co‐workers and physicians, along with a longer period of time working in one specific clinical unit (Decker, 1997), and pressure resulting from problems concerning confidence in the role (Michie et al ., 1996).…”

Burnout and AIDS care‐related factors in HIV community Clinical Nurse Specialists in the North of England

“…The running theme of the importance of AIDS experience being important in the supportive or supervisory relationship continues here, highlighting the belief that AIDS care and related issues are distinct areas where issues are de®ned by the unique nature of the disease. Inadequate support and supervision and the link with burnout in health professionals is highlighted in the literature by a number of authors (Pines & Maslach 1978, Saviki & Cooley 1978, Constable & Russell 1986, Walcott-McQuigg & Ervin 1992. Butterworth et al (1992) identi®es the role that supervision can play in helping professionals to work with clients where a more client-centred and holistic approach is called for and when dif®cult issues are anticipated, and Proctor (1991, p. 34) stresses the relevance of a restorative dimension to supervision in AIDS care, stating that supervision should be:…”