Workplace stress in nursing: a literature review

Abstract

A world-wide shortage of nurses, a significant challenge facing the healthcare sector in many developed and developing countries. Health development (growth) is an important fact for Sri Lanka as a developing country. It gives free health system to its people around the clock. Nurses play an important role in this field to uplift the health development. Accordingly to Key social indicators Nurses per 10,000 persons 15.4 in Sri Lanka. Similarly statistics at present qualified nurses 32,272 employed in Sri Lanka and a nurse for every 650 persons. The government allocates a large amount of money for health within a one year. The aspiration of these expenditures is well progress of health sector. When nurses are doing their dignity correctly, it is a massive strength to improvement of health sector. The purpose of this study to review the knowledge on workplace stress in nursing. Stress in nurses has been linked to reduce physical and psychological health, reduce job satisfaction, increase sickness absence, increase staff turnover, and poorer job commitment. A literature search from January 2000 to 2014 was conducted using the key words nursing, stress, workplace stress, stress management and review 20 article according to above key words. Poor working relationship between nurses and doctors and other health care professionals, demanding communication and relationships with patients and relatives, emergency cases, high workload, under staffing and lack of support or positive feedback from senior nursing staff have been main source of stress for nurses.