Assessment of Stress Among Staff Working in Emergency Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Background And Objective: Stress is a state of emotional exhaustion that is widely experienced by healty
care professional. It is commonly known that hospitals and health care providing institutes absorbs stress
more than any other field. The doctors, nurses and paramedics have to be on their toes to provide quality
services, Thus it turns to be heetic both physically andemotionally and instigate stress among the
staff. Objective of study is to assess the prevalence of stress among emergency department staff and to
determine associated factors and complexity.
Methods: This study was conducted at Emergency department of The Children's Hospital and the university
of ¢hild health sciences, Lahore during January 2022 to April 2022. Total 96 participants were enrolled into
the study. All professionals working in ER department including medical, paramedical (nurses, health
managers and health care assistant), administration and technical staff (receptionist), hospital senior agents,
social worker were interviewed. Consecutive non-probability sampling technique used. Data was collected
by filling predesigned questionnaires by every individual on level of stress through behavioral, emotional,
and psychological aspects. Data was analyzed by using SPSS 21 which was based on themes and codes
formulated from collected data. Before conducting the study, a preliminary coding was done from previous
rescarches, which incorporated four levels of controlling aspect namely, behavioral, psychological.
emotional and cognitive.
Results: Out of 96 participants, 57 (59.38%) were doctors, 36 (37.50%) were nurses and 3 (3.13%) were
paramedical staff. 63 (65.63%) participants were female. In the ER Department of Children's Hospital. the
Doctors and Nurses are overburdened, 39.4% strongly agree, while in females 44.4% agree with it. Nurses
were busy most in doing non-nursing task, 21.2% strongly agree, with respect to female gender 46.0% agree.
which increased their stress levels. Married and Female staff had faced more stress as compared to unmarried
and male staff.
Conclusion: In the ER department of children Hospital, the doctors and nurses were overburdened. Nurses
were most of the time busy in doing non-nursing activities (e.g. Clerical work) which increased their stress
levels. Programs for Stress management of the Nurses, working in the emergency services is utmost
necessary in Pakistan. The High job-related stress levels suggest possible future research work in this
significantarea for the benefit of patient care in emergency unit of tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan.