OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the occupational stress profile of Nursing staff in 2 secondary hospitals in the Province of Romblon.
METHODOLOGY: A descriptive study of 52 respondents composed of nurses and nursing attendants from secondary hospitals in Romblon were given self-administered OSA questionnaires that measured several facets of occupational stress, i.e. empowerment, exposure management, relaxation, home and work support, job complexity, negative outcome and organizational irrationality. This would determine specific areas of work that would cause stress.
RESULTS: Majority of the respondents were female, above forty years old, married and whose husbands occupation was not related to health service. They had less than 4 children but had more than 50 patients. Most of them were from the morning shift. On the positive subscales of OSA, data revealed that majority of the respondents fell within the moderate levels with regards: empowerment (92.3%), exposure management (86.5%) and relaxation potential (76.2%). Majority perceived high levels of work (94.2%) and home support (84.6%) respectively. The profile of these respondents was that they were married with their spouse working outside the health sector and had a total of 5-10 years of hospital service. As to the negative subscale, 61.5% of the respondents measured low on job complexity and majority had moderate level of occupational stress for organizational irrationality (57.7%) and negative outcome (63.5%). The profile of these respondents was they were above 40 years old, with more than 10 years of hospital service, and would handle 10-20 patients.
CONCLUSION: The nurses and nursing attendants in the Province of Romblon had an optimum level of occupational stress necessary to have control over their work and deal with changes in hospital policies, rules or structure. They ahd stable/social family and working relationships. Occupational-related health and psychological stress were experienced but still allowed them to function- socially and occupationally. They also managed to have time for enough relaxation. Most of them perceived their jobs as less complicated and some perceived the hospital structure as simple, organized and less challenging.