Assessment of Job Stress among the Employees of Alzahra Hospital; the Largest Healthcare Center in Isfahan Province, Iran

The quality of working life of workforce is a factor in attracting qualified, tactful, and motivated people to health-care organizations. Job stress is one of the factors that affect quality of service delivery. The aim of this study was to investigate occupational stress of health-care staff working in Alzahra hospital, the largest healthcare center of Isfahan Province, Iran.

A cross sectional study was performed on 581 employees of Alzahra hospital. The subjects were sampled using quoto-random sampling method in 8 occupations including nurses (290 cases), care aides (88 cases), office workers (72 cases), operating room personnel (37 cases), anesthesia technicians (36 cases), midwives (21 cases), laboratory staff (20 cases), and radiology staff (17 cases). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Health Stress Questionnaire was completed by participants in self-administration. The checklist of the study, including demographic characteristics and occupational factors (job title, the place of service for employment, contract type, work history, and employee shift) was also completed and compared.

Total stress score according to HSE questionnaire was 118.1 ± 6.5, and the highest score was in demands and role subscale. The job title had a significant relationship with the total score of job stress and as well with control and role subscale (P < 0.050). The highest stress was seen among the operating room technicians, and the lowest among midwifery personnel. Overall, there was no significant difference in the overall job stress score in terms of service area of the employees, work experience, second job, and type of shift (P > 0.050); otherwise, there was a significant relationship between type of shift with role subscale (P < 0.050). There was a significant relationship between the type of contract with total stress score (P < 0.050).

The findings of this study indicate that job stress among employees of Alzahra hospital is significantly different among various job titles, which requires more attention to reduce stress in stressful jobs such as operating room technicians and nurses. Considering the relationship between shiftwork and contract type with some subscales of job stress, managers need to pay more attention to convert contracts from temporary to permanent, and preparation of staff shift schedules.