A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY TO ASSESS THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE JOB STRESS AMONG THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT NURSES AT ERODE, TAMIL NADU, INDIA

ABSTRACT When the working system is in demand of more efficiency, individual resource stress is felt. Perception of stress occurs when there is a mismatch between the expectations and accomplishment. Because of workload and working environment seen in hospitals, health professionals frequently suffer from stress. In India prevalence of occupational stress amongst nurses has been estimated to be 87.4%. The present study was planned for assessing factors affecting occupational stress among Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses. So the Nurse manager and Chief of the hospital should take initiatives to overcome this problem and help them reduce the job stress by providing commensurate workload according to their abilities and lend proper recognition to their efforts and skills, and motivate them to contribute their thoughts to take decisions in their work, assign them responsibilities to do their work and help them improve their relations with their co-workers. Key Words: Job Stress, Intensive care unit, Workload.

Relationships between Occupational Stress, Change in Work Environment during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms among Non-Healthcare Workers in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aims to clarify the effect of occupational stress and changes in the work environment on non-healthcare workers’ (HCWs) mental health during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. A web-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted from 16 to 17 December 2020. Data from 807 non-HCWs were included. We evaluated occupational stress using the Generic Job Stress Questionnaire (GJSQ). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Japanese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale, respectively. We collected demographic variables, work-related variables, and the variables associated with COVID-19. The adjusted odds ratios for depressive and anxiety groups were estimated using multivariate logistic regression analyses, adjusted for all the demographic variables, work-related variables, COVID-19-related variables, and the six subdivided GJSQ subscales. The results confirm a relationship between variance in workload, job future ambiguity, social support from coworkers, having contact with COVID-19 patients, and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Paying attention to job future ambiguity, the variance in workload at the workplace and individual perspectives, promoting contact and support among coworkers using online communication tools, and reducing contact with COVID-19 patients, will be useful for decreasing the depressive and anxiety symptoms among non-HCWs.

Occupational Stressors and Access to COVID-19 Resources among Commuting and Residential Hispanic/Latino Farmworkers in a US-Mexico Border Region

Hispanic/Latino and migrant workers experience high degrees of occupational stress, constitute most of California’s agricultural workforce, and were among the most impacted populations by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, relatively little is known about the occupational stress experienced by farmworkers who commute daily between the US and Mexico. Occupational stress is considered an imbalance between the demands at work and the capabilities to respond in the context of the workforce. The goal of this study is to determine the type and severity of stressors in daytime and resident farmworkers and how COVID-19 vaccination status contributes to these stressors. Interviews containing the Migrant Farmworker Stress Inventory (MSWSI) were administered to a sample of 199 Hispanic/Latino farmworkers in Imperial County, a multi-billion-dollar agriculture sector in the US. Principal factor analysis differentiated latent factors in the MFSWI. Simple linear regression models and correlations identified associations between MFWSI scores and sample characteristics. The MFWSI reduced to five stressor domains: Health and Well-Being Vulnerabilities, Inadequate Standards of Living/Unknown Conditions of Living, Working Conditions, Working Environment, and Language Barriers. Approximately 40 percent of the respondents reported significant stress levels, with foreign-born (p = 0.014) and older respondents (p = 0.0415) being more likely to experience elevated stress regardless of their nighttime residence. We found that Spanish-language COVID-19 outreach might have been particularly effective for workers who reported high stress from English-language communication (p = 0.001). Moreover, our findings point to the importance of worker and human rights to mitigate the high-stress foreign-born workers who live in Mexico and the US experience.

Occupational Stress and Perceived Quality of Life Among Clinical Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study in A Nigerian State

This study assessed the influence of occupational stress on perceived quality of life among clinical nurses in selected hospitals in Nigeria. A cross sectional descriptive research design was adopted while multiple sampling was used to select the respondents from hospitals in Ogun state. Slovin’s formula (n=N/[1+N (e²)]) was used to determine the sample size of 425. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from respondents. The analysis was done with SPSS version 25 while descriptive such as tables and bar charts and inferential statistics were used to present the data. Findings revealed that the mean age of the respondents is 36.37±8.90 years and majority of the respondents were between 30-49 years. Almost half of the respondents (48.0%) reported high occupational stress while 44.2% and 7.8% reported low & fair occupational stress respectively. High workload (83.9%), long hours of night shift (71.1%), lack of resources and equipment (67.8%), frequency night shift (67.5%), emotional load of dealing with aggressive and demanding patients (62.6%), poor salary (61.6%), and prolong standing with no time for break (58.5%) are factors responsible for stress among nurses. The results further showed that 52.2% of the respondents reported good work-related quality of life while 38.8% rated their work-related quality of life as poor. The study also showed that there was significant relationship between occupational stress (Organizational issues (P= 0.035), Occupational hazards (P= 0.024), Interpersonal relationships (p= 0.003) and unmet basic physiological needs (P= 0.005)) and work-related quality of life. Conclusion: This study concluded that occupational stress affects nurses’ work-related quality of life negatively and influence patients’ outcomes. Hence, there is an urgent need for development of health promotion programmes on stress reduction and stress management. Keywords: Influence, Occupational Stress, Quality of life, Clinical Nurses.

Environmental, social, and corporate governance activities with employee psychological well-being improvement

Background Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) engagement is expected to benefit corporations in terms of their efficiency and sustainability. The transformative change in management practices would not only provide support for employees but also bring about additional workload, which may affect employee psychological well-being. However, the examination of the relationship between corporate ESG activities and occupational stress is scarce; hence, this study aims to fill this knowledge gap. Methods In total, 110,351 observations were collected from 41,998 employees regarding occupational stress to reflect employee psychological well-being. The data were derived from 11 corporations in Japan from 2017 to 2019. Data on ESG activities were collected from the MSCI ESG database from 2015 to 2017. The effect of 1-year lagged corporate ESG activities on employee psychological well-being was investigated using a lagged variable linear regression model. Results Positive and negative relationships were found between corporate environmental activities and occupational stress. Activities that reduce water stress during operation and adopt clean technology were found to benefit employees’ psychological well-being. On the contrary, the program for reducing toxic emissions and waste lowered employees’ occupational stress levels significantly. Regarding corporate social activities, the improvement of job satisfaction or work-life balance was associated with occupational stress. However, corporate governance activities were found to have unfavorable effects on employees’ psychological well-being. Conclusion The effects of corporate ESG activities on employees’ psychological well-being are found. The managerial implications suggest that caring for employees’ occupational stress during the implementation of environmental activities is necessary, and the adoption of social activities could enhance employees’ psychological well-being. Notably, corporate governance activities are a stressor for employees; top management teams should pay attention to it.

Development of a Conceptual Model of Occupational Stress for Athletic Directors in Sport Contexts

Previous studies have reported that occupational stress is a determinant risk factor for both chronic diseases and job performance among organizational leaders. Every occupation has its own culture and occupational climate influencing organizations within the industries. Thus, due to the idiosyncratic features inherent in sports, athletic directors may experience different occupational stressors. To date, there has been no comprehensive review of the occupational stress in athletic director contexts. Thus, based on the literature on both occupational stress and sport leadership, this study proposes a conceptual framework of occupational stress in sport leadership. The model identifies the five higher-order themes of occupational stressors and their associations with the first-level outcomes of individuals and the second-level outcomes of organizations. It also includes the two higher-order moderators of personal and organizational factors. It is hoped that this initiative can invoke interest in this topic to provide health-enhancing environments for athletic directors and quality sport services to society.

Examination of Quality of Life in Workplace Environments

Healthcare organizations are commonly known to be high-stress environments due to the life-or-death nature of the work. Thus, examining the quality of life in healthcare professionals is of significance to the field. Quality of life is a common measurement in healthcare, typically in determining the effectiveness of treatment on patients. But, quality of life in healthcare workers is often overlooked. A review of the literature was conducted regarding factors that impact quality of life of workers in healthcare environments. The areas of occupational stress, burnout, and workplace violence were explored in depth in order to understand the potential negative consequences of each on quality of life in healthcare professionals. In comparison to other industries, healthcare professionals are at an increased risk for occupational stress, burnout, and workplace violence. Effectively managing these areas could have a positive impact on quality of life in healthcare workers.

Occupational Stress: Associated Factors, Related Symptoms, and Coping Strategies Among Secondary School-heads

This study examined occupational stress, its related symptoms, associated factors, and coping strategies among heads of secondary schools in Kohat Division, Pakistan. A sample of 101 secondary school-heads was taken using a multistage sampling technique. Occupational Stress Index (Shrivastava & Singh, 1981) followed by four open-ended questions was used to investigate the study variables. Findings revealed that heads of secondary schools were occupationally stressed in their workplace. The most associated factors causing occupational stress were poor compensation, work overload, lack of effective advancement and promotion policy, poor implementation of education policy, lack of basic facilities, political interference, and under-participation. Several symptoms such as headaches, alterations in blood pressure, and digestive problems, were found to be associated with an increased risk of occupational stress. Furthermore, various related perceived physiological, psychological, and behavioral consequences were found to be caused by stress at work. Findings suggest that a comprehensive strategy promoted by the education department should be recommended for reducing stress among secondary school-heads and improving their wellbeing and other health-related conditions at the workplace.