ASSESSING OCCUPATIONAL STRESS AMONG NURSES AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITALS OF PESHAWAR PAKISTAN

Abstract

Background: Occupational stress among nurses is a growing concern worldwide, particularly in tertiary care hospitals where workload, emotional demands, and limited resources create challenging work environments. Prolonged exposure to stress can negatively affect nurses’ physical and psychological health, job performance, and quality of patient care.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and major sources of occupational stress among nurses working in tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar, Pakistan.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 347 nurses working in three major tertiary care hospital of Peshawar Pakistan. Participants were selected using convenience sampling. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire based on a Likert scale and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the findings.

Results: The findings revealed that more than 70% of nurses experienced high levels of occupational stress. Major stressors included heavy patient workload (84.7%), frequent overtime (71.1%), long duty hours (52.4%), inadequate sleep during on-call duties (68%), and limited managerial support (60.3%). Environmental factors such as noise (70.3%) and insufficient breaks (69.4%) also contributed significantly to stress. Many nurses reported feelings of emotional exhaustion, lack of recognition, and restricted autonomy in clinical decision-making.

Conclusion: Occupational stress is highly prevalent among nurses in tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar. Organizational, environmental, and managerial factors play a major role in increasing stress levels. Effective interventions such as improved staffing, supportive leadership, adequate rest periods, and better working conditions are urgently needed to enhance nurse well-being and quality of care.