Comparison of Job Related Stress, Job Satisfaction and Coping Strategies adopted by Nursing Personnel Working in Critical Care and Non-Critical Care Units

 

Shaiji M J

Assistant Professor, Droan College of Nursing, Vill and Post, Khanpur Purab Dineshpur Road, Rudrapur-263153 Uttarakhand

 

ABSTRACT:

A Quantitative approach, non experimental descriptive comparative research design was used for this study. 50 samples from each unit were selected by non probability purposive sampling technique. Data collection tools included were structured questionnaire, nursing stress scale, nurses job satisfaction assessment scale and nurses coping strategy assessment tool. Results and conclusion: The analysis revealed that non-critical care unit nurses were having more stress than critical care unit nurses (t_{(98) =} 8.98, p < 0.05).Critical care nurses were having more job satisfaction than non- critical care nurses (t_{(98) =} 9.56, p < 0.05). The coping strategies adopted by critical care nurses and non-critical care nurses were different(t_{(98) =} 1.20, p < 0.05). The relationship between job related stress and job satisfaction was found to be weak and positive among critical care nurses and weak and negative among non-critical care nurses.The relationship between job satisfaction and coping strategies among both critical care and non-critical care nurses was very weak and negative. Study also revealed a weak positive relationship between job related stress and coping strategies among both critical care and non-critical care nurses. There was no significant association between the research variables and the selected socio demographic variables.

 

 

INTRODUCTION:

Nursing is a highly reputed health care profession. Nursing is caring for clients, individuals, families, groups, populations or entire communities, with multiple, complex and distressing problems which can be overwhelming for even the most experienced person.^[1]

 

Nurses regularly face emotionally challenged situations and encounter intense interpersonal and inter professional situations and conflict in the workplace while trying to make appropriate and safe decisions. Research statistics shows that prevalence of occupational stress amongst nurses in India is 87.4%. Stress and job satisfaction among nurses has been subjected to extensive research for many reasons, including the relationship of these occupational attitudes to measures of job performance. In addition, WHO reported that job stress and job satisfaction were important correlates of anticipated and actual job turnover among nurses.^[2] Coping is conceptualized as attempts to reduce or eliminate the negative effects of stress on well being. Nurses are brilliant in coping and often have a strong belief that they should be able to cope with anything at all that comes along in their personal or professional domains.^[3]

 

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:

A study to compare job related stress, job satisfaction and coping strategies adopted by nursing personnel working in critical care and non-critical care units of a selected hospital in Malappuram district.

 

OBJECTIVES:

·      Identify and compare the job related stress among nursing personnel working in critical care and non- critical care units.

·      Assess and compare the job satisfaction among nursing personnel working in critical care and non-critical care units.

·      Identify and compare coping strategies adopted by nursing personnel working in critical care and non- critical care units.

·      Determine the relationship between job related stress and job satisfaction among nursing personnel working in critical care and non-critical care units.

·      Determine the relationship between coping strategies and job satisfaction among nursing personnel working in critical care and non- critical care units.

·      Determine the relationship between job related stress and coping strategies among nursing personnel working in critical care and non-critical care units.

·      Find out the association between job related stress of nursing personnel and selected demographic variables.

·      Find out the association between job satisfaction of nursing personnel and selected demographic variables.

·      Find out the association between coping strategies adopted by nursing personnel and selected demographic variables.

 

Null Hypothesis:

H₁  There is no significant difference in job related stress among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units.

H₂  There is no significant difference in job satisfaction among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units.

H₃  There is no significant difference in coping strategies among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units.

H₄  There is no significant relationship between job related stress and job satisfaction among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units.

H₅  There is no significant relationship between job satisfaction and coping strategies among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units.

H₆  There is no significant relationship between job related stress and coping strategies among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units.

H₇  There is no significant association between job related stress of nursing personnels and socio demographic variables.

H₈  There is no significant association between job satisfaction of nursing personnels and socio demographic variables.

H₉  There is no significant association between coping strategies of nursing personnels and socio demographic variables.

 

METHODOLOGY:

A Quantitative approach, non experimental descriptive comparative research design was chosen for this study. The study was conducted at KIMS Al Shifa hospital Perinthalmanna, Kerala, India. The samples comprised of 50 nursing personnels from each unit were selected by non probability purposive sampling technique. After getting the consent, nurses job stress level was assessed by using nursing stress scale, job satisfaction was assessed by using nurse’s job satisfaction assessment scale and coping strategy was assessed by using nurse’s coping strategy assessment tool.

 

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

Table 1 Frequency and percentage distribution of sample based on age, gender, marital status, educational qualification, total experience , experience in the present area of work and Monthly salary in rupees       (n=100)

Demographic Variables	Critical care nurses		Non-critical care nurses
	F	%	F	%
Age in years
21–30	39	78	42	84
31–40	11	22	8	16
Gender
Male	5	10	2	4
Female	45	90	48	96
Marital status
Single	31	62	33	64
Married	19	38	18	36
Educational qualification
GNM	22	44	19	38
Post BSc/BSc	28	56	31	62
Total experience
< 2 years	26	52	26	52
2 – 4 years	20	40	24	48
5 – 7years	4	8	0	0
Experience in the present area of work
< 2years	33	66	33	66
2–4years	17	34	17	34
Monthly salary in rupees
5000-10000	34	68	28	56
10001-15000	16	32	22	44

 

 

Figure 1: Distribution of critical care and non-critical care nurses based on level of stress

 

Comparison of job related stress among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units:

Figure 1 depicts that among critical care nurses 84% are having moderate level of stress. In non-critical care units 58% of them are having severe level of stress.

 

Table 2 Comparison of job related stress among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units (n=100)

Group	Mean	SD	t value	p value	95% CI
Critical care nurses	32.78	9.53	8.98	0.00*	(30.14, 35.42)
Non-critical care nurses	50.28	9.96			(47.52, 53.04)

 

Table 2 depicts that the mean stress score (50.28) of nurses in non-critical care unit is significantly greater than the mean stress score (32.78) of nurses in critical care unit, (t_{(98) =} 8.98, p<0.05). Hence it is evident that the non-critical care unit nurses are having more stress than critical care unit nurses.

 

Figure 2: Distribution of critical care and non- critical care nurses based on level of job satisfaction

 

Comparison of job satisfaction among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units:

Figure 2 shows that among critical care nurses 82% of them have moderate level of job satisfaction and in non-critical care nurses 72% are poor satisfaction.

 

Table 3 Comparison of job satisfaction among nursing personnels working in critical care and non-critical care units (n=100)

Group	Mean	SD	t value	p value	95% CI
Critical care nurses	51.28	7.10	9.56	0.00*	(49.31, 53.25)
Non-critical care nurses	35.08	9.66			(32.4, 37.76)

 

Table 3 depicts that the mean job satisfaction score (51.28) of nurses in critical care units is significantly greater than the mean job satisfaction score (35.08) of nurses in non-critical care units (t₍₉₈₎₌9.56, p<0.05). Hence it is evident that the critical care nurses are having more job satisfaction than non- critical care nurses.

 

Table 4 Frequency and percentage distribution of coping strategies adopted by nursing personnel which includes supportive, professional assistance, behavioural, spiritual, substitutional, avoidance and planned.                                                                           (n=100)

Type of coping	Degree of coping
	Group	Never		Hardly		Sometimes		Often		Mostly
		F	%	f	%	f	%	f	%	F	%
Supportive	Critical care	0	0	2	4	16	32	18	36	14	28
	Non-critical care	2	4	6	12	21	42	11	22	10	20
Professional assistance	Critical care	26	52	7	14	9	18	6	12	2	4
	Non-critical care	22	44	7	14	12	24	7	14	2	4
Behavioural	Critical care	6	12	13	26	20	40	8	16	3	6
	Non-critical care	6	12	11	22	20	40	11	22	2	4
Spiritual	Critical care	3	6	3	6	10	20	21	42	13	26
	Non-critical care	4	8	12	24	7	14	8	16	19	38
Substitutional	Critical care	0	0	4	8	7	14	24	48	15	30
	Non-critical care	1	2	7	14	24	48	8	16	10	20
Avoidance	Critical care	44	88	4	8	0	0	2	4	0	0
	Non-critical care	43	86	1	2	3	6	2	4	1	2
Planned	Critical care	4	8	5	10	14	28	18	36	9	18
	Non-critical care	2	4	8	16	13	26	15	30	12	24

 

 

 

 

 

Figure 3: Distribution of critical care and non-critical care nurses based on coping strategies

 

Table 4 shows that 36%of critical care nurses reported their dependency on supportive coping strategies to be ‘often’ and 42% of non-critical care nurses reported it to be ‘sometimes’. Professional assistance coping was never used by52% of critical care nurses and 44% of non-critical care nurses. The dependency on behavioural coping was reported to be ‘sometimes’ by 40% of both critical care and non-critical care nurses. 42% of critical care nurses reported their dependency on spiritual coping to be ‘often’ where as 38% of non-critical care nurses reported it to be ‘mostly’. Forty eight percentage of critical care nurses reported their dependency on substitutional coping to be ‘often’ and 48% of non-critical care nurses sometimes depended on substitutional coping. Avoidance coping was never used by 88% of critical care nurses and 86% of non-critical care nurses. Planned coping was often used by36% of critical care nurses and 30% of non-critical care nurses.

 

Figure 3 shows that in critical care unit 62% are having greater than mean coping score. In non-critical care unit, 56% of nurses are having less than mean coping score.

 

Table 5 Comparison of coping strategies in critical care and non-critical care unit nurses.                                                          (n=100)

Group	Mean	SD	t value	p value	95% CI
Critical care nurses	19.82	4.05			(18.7, 20.94)
			1.20	0.02*
Non-critical care nurses	18.80	4.40			(17.58, 20.02)

 

Table 5 depicts that the mean coping strategy score (19.82) of nurses in critical care unit is significantly different from mean coping strategy score (18.80) of nurses in non-critical care unit (t₍₉₈₎₌1.20, p<0.05). Hence it is evident that the coping strategies adopted by critical care nurses and non-critical care nurses are different.

 

Relationship between job related stress and job satisfaction, job satisfaction and coping strategies and job related stress and coping strategies.

·      While considering the overall correlation between job related stress and job satisfaction among nursing personnels, the obtained Karl Pearson’s coefficient of correlation (r=0.45) indicates that there was a statistically significant moderate negative correlation between job related stress and job satisfaction (p < 0.05).

·      While considering the overall correlation between job satisfaction and coping strategies among nursing personnels, the obtained Karl Pearson’s coefficient of correlation( r = 0.29) indicates that there was a weak positive relationship that was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

·      It also denotes that the relationship between job related stress and coping strategies was very weak among nursing personnels as a whole(r = 0.02) and this was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

 

 

 

Table 6 Association of job related stress with age, gender, marital status, educational qualification, total experience and monthly salary in rupees of nursing personnels.                                                                                                                                                                    (n=100)

Variables	Job related stress			Df	Chi square value	p value
	Mild	Moderate	Severe
Age in years
21 – 30	7	53	21	2	2.26	0.32
31 – 40	2	9	8
41 – 50	0	0	0
> 50	0	0	0
Gender
Male	2	5	0	2	5.49	0.06
Female	7	57	29
Marital status
Single	6	42	15	2	2.23	0.32
Married	3	20	14
Divorced/separated	0	0	0
Widow/widower	0	0	0
Educational qualification
GNM	3	26	12	4	2.75	0.60
BSc/PBSc	6	36	16
Post graduation	0	0	1
Total experience
< 2 years	2	35	15	4	7.35	0.12
2 – 4 years	7	23	14
5 – 7years	0	4	0
> 7years	0	0	0
Monthly salary in rupees
5000 – 10000	7	38	17	2	1.11	0.58
10001 –15000	2	24	12
> 15000	0	0	0

 

Table 6 shows that there is no statistically significant association between job related stress with selected demographic variables hence p value is not less than 0.05.

 

Table7 shows that there is no statistically significant association between job satisfaction and selected socio demographic variables hence p value is not less than 0.05.

 

 

 

Table 7 Association of job satisfaction with age, gender, marital status, total experience, experience in the present area of work and monthly salary in rupees .(n=100)

Variables	Job satisfaction				df	Chi Square	p value
	Highly satisfied	Moderately satisfied	Poorly satisfied	Not at all satisfied
Age (years)
21 – 30	5	45	30	1	3	0.87	0.83
31 – 40	1	9	9	0
Gender
Male	0	4	3	0	3	0.57	0.90
Female	6	50	36	1
Marital status
Single	4	37	21	1	3	2.73	0.44
Married	2	17	18	0
Educational qualification
GNM	3	20	18	0	6	3.46	0.75
BSc/PBSc	3	34	20	1
Post graduation	0	0	1	0
Total experience
< 2 years	2	28	22	0	6	3.17	0.79
2– 4 years	4	24	15	1
5 – 7years	0	2	2	0
Experience in the present area of work
< 2years	4	36	25	1	3	0.59	0.90
2 – 4years	2	18	14	0
Monthly salary in rupees
5000 – 10000	3	37	21	1	3	3.05	0.38
10001- 15000	3	17	18	0

 

 

Table 8 Association of coping strategies with age, gender, marital status, total experience, experience in the present area of work and monthly salary in rupees .(n=100)

Variables	Coping strategies		Df	Chi square	p value
	Below mean coping score	Above mean coping score
Age (years)
21–30	40	41	1	2.24	0.14
31–40	13	6
Gender
Male	3	4	1	0.31	0.58
Female	50	43
Marital status
Single	31	32	1	0.98	0.32
Married	22	15
Educational qualification
GNM	20	21	2	1.29	0.53
BSc/PBSc	32	26
Post graduation	1	0
Total years of experience
< 2	28	24	2	0.04	0.98
2–4	23	21
5–7	2	2
Experience in present area of work
< 2 years	35	31	1	0.00	0.99
2 – 4 years	18	16
Monthly salary in rupees
5000–10000	33	29
10001–15000	20	18	1	0.00	0.95

 

 

 

Table 8 shows that there is no statistically significant association between coping strategies and the socio demographic variables hence p value is not less than 0.05.

 

CONCLUSION:

The study concluded that non-critical care unit nurses experienced more job related stress than critical care nurses. Critical care unit nurses experienced more job satisfaction than non-critical care unit nurses. The coping strategies adopted by critical care unit nurses and non-critical care unit nurses were significantly different. The relationship between job related stress and job satisfaction among critical care nurses was weak and positive and among non-critical care nurses was weak and negative. The relationship between job satisfaction and coping strategies among critical care and non-critical care nurses were very weak and negative. The relationship between job related stress and coping strategies among critical care and non-critical care nurses was found to be very weak and positive. There was no significant association between the research variables job related stress, job satisfaction, coping strategies and selected socio demographic variables.

 

REFERENCE:

1      Aiken L H etal Hospital Nurse Staffing and Patient Mortality, Nurse Burnout and Job Dissatisfaction. Journal of the American Medical Association [Internet]. 2002; 288 (16).

2      Decker F. Occupational and non occupational factors in job satisfaction and psychological distress among nurses. Research in Nursing and Health, [Internet]. 2007; (20), 453–464.

3      Chang EM, Hancock KM, Johnson A, Daly J, Jackson D. Role Stress in Nurses: Review of Related Factors and Strategies for Moving Forward. Nursing and Health Sciences [Internet]. 2005; 7 (1), 57-65.

4      Cooper C etal, Stress Prevention in the workplace: Assessing The Costs and Benefits to organizations. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publication of The European Communities. [Internet]. 2006; 8 (16), 44-48

5      Andrew Mcvicar School of Health Care Practice, Anglia Polytechnic University, Chelmsford, Essex CM1 1SQ, UK. Journal of Advanced Nursing (Impact Factor: 1.69) [Internet]. 01/2004; 44(6):633

 

 

 

 

 

Received on 22.05.2018           Modified on 01.08.2018

Accepted on 20.09.2018     © A&V Publications all right reserved