The effects of job stress on the ethical considerations of the staff of emergency department at Taleghani hospital, Kermanshah

Job stress is an important social phenomenon and a serious threat to the health of the manpower around the world. In addition to its negative effects on physical health, job stress can undermine the ethical considerations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to find the causes of job stress in the medical staff working in the emergency department of Taleghani Hospital and its effect on their ethical considerations.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on the nursing staff (n=45) of the emergency department of Taleghani hospital, who were selected by convenience sampling. The severity of stress and factors associated with it were measured by a researcher-made questionnaire. To construct this questionnaire, several questionnaires related to the research topic, including Health and Safety Executive (HSE) survey and Osipow Job Stress questionnaire were used. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.

The results showed that 3 nurses had severe stress, 17 had moderate to severe stress, and 25 (55.5%) had low to moderate stress. No significant relationship was observed between the experienced job stress and the staff’s gender and age (p<0.05) so that the female nurses and the staff with a lower age and work experience underwent a higher level of stress.

Job stress had a significant effect on the ethical considerations of the staff of the emergency department of Taleghani hospital. Hence, the managers are required to employ supportive strategies to prevent the long-term effects of job stress on these staff, whose number is currently increasing owing to the needs of the society.