Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?

Introduction. Nurses often experience work-related stress. High stress can negatively affect job satisfaction and lead to emotional exhaustion with risk of burnout. Aim. To analyse possible differences in biological stress markers, psychosocial working conditions, health, and well-being between nurs...

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Main Authors: Evalotte Mörelius, Per A. Gustafsson, Kerstin Ekberg, Nina Nelson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2013-01-01
Series:Nursing Research and Practice
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/761213
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author Evalotte Mörelius
Per A. Gustafsson
Kerstin Ekberg
Nina Nelson
author_facet Evalotte Mörelius
Per A. Gustafsson
Kerstin Ekberg
Nina Nelson
author_sort Evalotte Mörelius
collection DOAJ
description Introduction. Nurses often experience work-related stress. High stress can negatively affect job satisfaction and lead to emotional exhaustion with risk of burnout. Aim. To analyse possible differences in biological stress markers, psychosocial working conditions, health, and well-being between nurses working in two different departments. Methods. Stress was evaluated in nurses working in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (n=33) and nurses working in a child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient ward (CAP) (n=14) using salivary cortisol and HbA1c. Salivary cortisol was measured three times a day on two consecutive days during two one-week periods, seven weeks apart (= 12 samples/person). Psychosocial working conditions, health, and well-being were measured once. Results. NICU nurses had better social support and more self-determination. CAP nurses had a lower salivary cortisol quotient, poorer general health, and higher client-related burnout scores. Conclusion. When comparing these nurses with existing norm data for Sweden, as a group their scores reflect less work-related stress than Swedes overall. However, the comparison between NICU and CAP nurses indicates a less healthy work situation for CAP nurses. Relevance to Clinical Practice. Healthcare managers need to acknowledge the less healthy work situation CAP nurses experience in order to provide optimal support and promote good health.
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spelling doaj-art-679e736c78bb4a1faae8692275b31cdb2025-02-03T05:58:07ZengWileyNursing Research and Practice2090-14292090-14372013-01-01201310.1155/2013/761213761213Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?Evalotte Mörelius0Per A. Gustafsson1Kerstin Ekberg2Nina Nelson3Division of Health, Activity, and Care, Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, 601 74 Norrköping, SwedenDivision of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, 581 85 Linköping, SwedenDepartment of Medical and Health Sciences, National Centre for Work and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, 581 85 Linköping, SwedenDivision of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, 581 85 Linköping, SwedenIntroduction. Nurses often experience work-related stress. High stress can negatively affect job satisfaction and lead to emotional exhaustion with risk of burnout. Aim. To analyse possible differences in biological stress markers, psychosocial working conditions, health, and well-being between nurses working in two different departments. Methods. Stress was evaluated in nurses working in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) (n=33) and nurses working in a child and adolescent psychiatry inpatient ward (CAP) (n=14) using salivary cortisol and HbA1c. Salivary cortisol was measured three times a day on two consecutive days during two one-week periods, seven weeks apart (= 12 samples/person). Psychosocial working conditions, health, and well-being were measured once. Results. NICU nurses had better social support and more self-determination. CAP nurses had a lower salivary cortisol quotient, poorer general health, and higher client-related burnout scores. Conclusion. When comparing these nurses with existing norm data for Sweden, as a group their scores reflect less work-related stress than Swedes overall. However, the comparison between NICU and CAP nurses indicates a less healthy work situation for CAP nurses. Relevance to Clinical Practice. Healthcare managers need to acknowledge the less healthy work situation CAP nurses experience in order to provide optimal support and promote good health.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/761213
spellingShingle Evalotte Mörelius
Per A. Gustafsson
Kerstin Ekberg
Nina Nelson
Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?
Nursing Research and Practice
title Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?
title_full Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?
title_fullStr Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?
title_full_unstemmed Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?
title_short Neonatal Intensive Care and Child Psychiatry Inpatient Care: Do Different Working Conditions Influence Stress Levels?
title_sort neonatal intensive care and child psychiatry inpatient care do different working conditions influence stress levels
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/761213
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