Job stressors and social support behaviors: Comparing intensive care units to wards in Jordan
Majd T Mrayyan
Dean, Faculty of Nursing, Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan
PP: 163 - 175
Abstract
Studies about nurses' stressors and social support behaviors are limited. This study explored differences between Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and wards in regard to Jordanian nurses' job stressors and social support behaviors as well as predictors of the two concepts.
A quantitative research design using a survey method was used. The Nursing Stress Scale (NSS) (Gray-Toft & Anderson 1981) and the Inventory of Social Supportive Behaviors (ISSB) (Barrera, Sandler & Ramsay 1981) were used to collect data from a convenience sample of 228 nurses who were working in 12 ICUs and 235 nurses who were working in nine wards of 13 hospitals, with a total response rate of 66.2%.
Stressors in ICUs were higher than those in wards. The ICUs scored higher than wards in 'conflict with physicians' subscale of NSS. The ICUs scored higher than wards in 'emotional support' and 'tangible assistance' subscales of ISSB. Shift worked, model of nursing care, and level of education predicted nurses' job stressors in ICUs and wards. 'Model of nursing care' was a shared predictor of social support behaviors in ICUs and wards.
High job stressors and low social support behaviors were evidenced in Jordan. Job stressors were higher in ICUs than those in wards, thus more social support behaviors should be provided to nurses in ICUs.
Nurses' stressors should be assessed and managed. In all settings in general and in ICUs in particular, nurse managers should use various social support behaviors to buffer the influence of job stressors on nurses.
Acknowledgements
The researchers would like to thank all nurses who participated in this study. Many thanks are conveyed to all Teaching and Research Assistants who participated in data collection and management.
Keywords
job stressors, social support behaviors, nurses, ICUs, wards, retention and recruitment, Jordan
References
AbuAlRub R (2007) Nursing shortage in Jordan: What is the solution? Journal of Professional Nursing 23: 117-120.
Albar Marin MJ and Garcia-Ramirez M (2005) Social support and emotional exhaustion among hospital nursing staff, The European Journal of Psychiatry 19(2): 96-106.
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (2008) About Critical Care Nursing, accessed at http://www.aacn.org/AACN/mrkt.nsf/vwdoc/AboutCriticalCareNursing?opendocument on 19 May 2008.
Bakker AB, Killmer CH, Siegriest J and Shaufeli WB (2000) Effort-reward imbalance and burnout among nurses, Journal of Advanced Nursing 31(4): 884-891.
Barrera M (2000) Social support research in community psychology, in Rappaport J and Seidman E (eds) Handbook of Community Psychology, Kluwer Academic, New York.
Barrera M, Sandler I and Ramsay T (1981) Preliminary development of a scale of social support: Studies on college students, American Journal of Community Psychology 9(4): 435-447.
Bowler S and Mallik M (1998) Role extension or expansion: A qualitative investigation of the perceptions of senior medical and nursing staff in an adult intensive care unit, Intensive and Critical Care Nursing 14(1): 11-20.
Boyle DK, Bott MJ, Hansen HE, Woods CQ and Taunton RL (1999) Managers' leadership and critical care nurses' intent to stay, American Journal of Critical Care 8(6): 361-371.
Bratt MM, Broome M, Kelber S and Lostocco L (2000) Influence of stress and nursing leadership on job satisfaction of pediatric intensive care unit nurses, American Journal of Critical Care 9(5): 307-317.
Brown H and Edelmann R (2000) Project 2000: A study of expected and experienced stressors and support reported by students and qualified nurses, Journal of Advanced Nursing 31(4): 857-864.
Demerouti E, Bakker A, Nachreiner F and Schaufeli WB (2000) A model of burnout and life satisfaction amongst nurses, Journal of Advanced Nursing 32(2): 454-464.
Finlayson B, Dixon J, Meadows S and Blair G (2002) Mind the gap: Policy response to the NHS nursing shortage, British Medical Journal 325: 541-544.
French SE, Lenton R, Walters V and Eyles J (2000) An empirical evaluation of an expanded nursing stress scale, Journal of Nursing Measurement 8(2): 161-178.
Gray-Toft P and Anderson J (1981) The nursing stress scale: Development of an instrument, Journal of Behavioral Assessment 3(1): 11-23.
Hamaideh S, Mrayyan MT, Mudallal R, Al-Faouri I and Khasawneh N (2008) Jordanian nurses' job stressors and social support, International Nursing Review 55: 40-47.
Happell B, Martin T and Pinikahana J (2003) Burnout and job satisfaction: A comparative study of psychiatric nurses from forensic and a mainstream mental health service, International Journal of Mental Health Nursing 12(1): 39-47.
Healy C and McKay MF (1999) Identifying sources of stress and job satisfaction in the nursing environment, Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing 17(2): 30-35.
Healy C and McKay MF (2000) Nursing stress: The effect of coping strategies and job satisfaction in a sample of Australian nurses, Journal of Advanced Nursing 31(3): 681-688.
Marquis BL and Huston CJ (2003) Leadership Roles and Management Functions in Nursing: Theory and Application 4th edn, Lippincott, Philadelphia.
Maslach C, Shaufeli B and Leiter MP (2000) Job burnout, Annual Review of Psychology 52: 397-422.
McCauley K and Irwin RS (2006) Changing the work environment in Intensive Care Units to achieve patient-focused care: The time has come, American Journal of Critical Care 15: 541-548.
McGowan B (2001) Self-reported stress and its effects on nurses, Nursing Standard 15(8): 33-38.
McVicar A (2003) Workplace stress in nursing: A literature review, Journal of Advanced Nursing 44(6): 633-642.
Mrayyan MT and Al-Faouri I (2008) Career commitment and job performance of Jordanian nurses, Nursing Forum 43(1): 24-37.
Mrayyan MT (2007) Jordanian nurses' job satisfaction and intent to stay: Comparing teaching and non-teaching hospitals, Journal of Professional Nursing 23(3): 125-136.
Mrayyan MT (2005) Nurse job satisfaction and retention: Comparing public to private hospitals in Jordan, Journal of Nursing Management 13(1): 40-50.
Payne N (2001) Occupational stressors and coping as determinants of burnout in female hospice nurses, Journal of Advanced Nursing 33(3): 396-405.
Peeters MCW and Le Blanc P (2001) Towards a match between job demands and sources of social support: A study among oncology care providers, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology 10(1): 53-72.
Pinikahana J and Happell B (2004) Stress, burnout and job satisfaction in rural psychiatric nurses: A Victorian study, Australian Journal of Rural Health 12: 120-125.
Polit D and Beck C (2006) Essentials of Nursing Research: Methods, Appraisal, and Utilization 6th edn, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.
Robnett MK (2006) Critical care nursing: Workforce issues and potential solutions, Critical Care Medicine 34(3): S25-S31.
Shader K, Broome ME, West ME and Nash M (2001) Factors influencing satisfaction and anticipated turnover for nurses in an academic medical center, Journal of Nursing Administration 31(4): 210-216.
Schmalenberg C and Kramer M (2007) Types of Intensive Care Units with the healthiest, most productive work environments, American Journal of Critical Care 16(5): 458-468.
Smith A, Brice C, Collins A, Mathews V and McNamara R (2000) The Scale of Occupational Stress: A Further Analysis of the Input of Demographic Factors and Type of Job. HSE Books, HMSO, Norwich, accessed at http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/researchpublications on 19 May 2008.
SPSS Base (2007) Version 11.5 for Windows, User's Guide, SPSS Inc, Chicago.
Stordeur S, D'hoore W and Vandenberghe C (2001) Leadership, organizational stress and emotional exhaustion among hospital nursing staff, Journal of Advanced Nursing 35(4): 533-542.
Tyler PA and Ellison RN (1994) Sources of stress and psychological well-being in high-dependency nursing, Journal of Advanced Nursing 19(3): 469-476.
University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center (2003) Critical Care Services, accessed at http://www.mc.uky.edu/uknursing/criticalcare.asp on 25 July 2008.
Van Der Ploeg E and Kleber RJ (2003) Acute and chronic job stressors among ambulance personnel: Predictors of health symptoms, Occupational & Environmental Medicine 601: i40-i46.
Williams G, Chaboyer W, Thornsteindóttir R, Fulbrook P, Shelton C, Chan D and Wojner A (2001) Worldwide overview of critical care nursing organizations and their activities, International Nursing Review 48: 208-217.
eContent Home
