Occupational stress and job satisfaction among nurses in Apeksha hospital, Sri Lanka

Abstract

Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system, offering 24-hour care, patient advocacy, and mediation between patients and other healthcare personnel. The purpose of this research was to establish the correlation between job stress and job satisfaction among nurses employed at Apeksha Hospital, a cancer treatment hospital in Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional quantitative design was conducted among 248 nurses selected through convenience sampling. Data collection involved a self-administered questionnaire consisting of three sections: demographics, the Nurses Stress Scale (NSS) to assess stress levels across seven subscales, and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) to measure job satisfaction. A pre-test with 20 participants ensured clarity of the questionnaire, and ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. Among 248 nurses’ majority were aged 26-30 Years (39.9%, n=99), female (88.7%, n=220), Sinhala (99.2%, n=246), Buddhist (97.6%, n=242), married (61.7%, n=153), and Grade II nurses (68.5%, n=170). 95.6% of nurses experienced moderate stress, while 4.4% reported high stress levels. Regarding job satisfaction, 37.5% of nurses reported high satisfaction, 41.1% had moderate satisfaction, and 21% experienced low satisfaction. Statistical analysis using chisquare tests and Friedman’s test indicated a significant inverse relationship between occupational stress and job satisfaction (p< 0.05, r = -0.372), implying that increased stress levels corresponded with reduced job satisfaction. Further job satisfaction showed a significant relationship with nursing grade (p = 0.047). The study highlighted the need for stress management programs and counseling services to reduce stress and enhance job satisfaction. Addressing occupational stress can further improve job satisfaction. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs and include multiple healthcare settings to better understand the dynamics between occupational stress and job satisfaction in nursing.