Stressor among nurses in a psychiatric department - comparison between acute and recuperation wards

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to identify stressors (causes of stress) for psychiatric department nurses, and to compare the differing stress variables and levels of stress encountered in the acute ward and the recuperation ward. The study uses a brief work stress questionnaire and then asks 24 questions relating to the particular stresses that nurses in a psychiatric department may encounter and the length of time they are exposed to them. Answers were obtained from 36 nurses and associate nurses in two psychiatric departments (breakdown: Hospital A psychiatric department acute ward, 11 nurses; Hospital B psychiatric department recuperation ward, 25 nurses). Each subscale was analyzed using factor analysis, and the factor scores and item score were analyzed using Two-way ANOVA. The results of this analysis show that the factor scores for recuperation ward nurses were significantly higher than those for nurses from acute ward in the "atmosphere" factor from the brief work stress questionnaire, and in all factors ("knowledge and technology in nursing", "actual caring", "fear of violence" and "directionality of work") in the subscale "Stressors among Nurses in Psychiatric Department", indicating that nurses in recuperation ward had high levels of stress.