AN EXAMINATION OF THE PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACT OF STRESS AMONG NURSES AND MIDWIVES IN GWARINPKA GENERAL HOSPITAL, ABUJA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background To The Study

Recently, there has been a rising understanding that workplace stress has unpleasant consequences for both individuals' health and safety and the health and performance of their businesses (Payne, 2001). This notion is reflected not just in public and media attention, but also in the growing concern expressed by labor unions and scientific and professional groups, including the International Labor Organization. Concern has been made in particular about the consequences of stress on health-care personnel, particularly nurses. He concluded that nursing is a "stressful" job by definition. In a similar vein, Harris (2001) stated that the nurse, unlike few other professions, is daily faced with sadness, terrible pain, and death. Numerous nursing activities are unsatisfying and routine. Many are repulsive and disagreeable by conventional standards. Some are just terrifying, while others are often humiliating. It is not surprising that nurses confronted with such activities and situations report experiencing high levels of stress, which are exacerbated by a variety of organizational issues increasingly recognized as contributing to the stress process.

Stress has been classified as an antecedent or stimulus, a reaction or consequence, and an interaction. It has been discussed from a variety of different angles. Smith et al. (2001), for example, predicted a physiological assessment that supports evaluating the link between stress and sickness. On the contrary, Cox and Griffiths (1996) advocated for a psychological perspective in which stress is a result of a unique interaction between the individual and the environment.

Menzies (1960) identified four potential reasons of anxiety for nurses: decision-making, patient care, accepting responsibility, and change. The nurse's role has traditionally been seen as stressful because to the human suffering, physical labor, long hours, interpersonal ties, and staffing requirements inherent in the task nurses do. However, during the previous three decades, nurses' job stress levels have grown as a result of greater technology usage, growing health care expenses, and workplace discontent.

Stress is a frequent and expensive occurrence in today's environment. According to Smith et al. (2001), the majority of workers report experiencing high levels of stress, which are related with significant increases in health care consumption. Additionally, he said that stress is the primary cause of employee turnover, absenteeism, disagreement, and workplace accidents in any firm. This research intends to determine the influence of stress on the performance of nurses at Gwarinpka General Hospital in Abuja.

1.2 Statement Of The Problem

Workplace stress jeopardizes an organization's well-being and its workers' performance (Musyoka et al., 2012). The issue is becoming a severe concern for a cost of organizations as a result of the associated costs and adverse consequences on the organizations' and workers' performance (AL-Omar, 2003). According to Azizolla et al. (2013), job stress occurs when individuals have difficulty dealing with work obligations and their sense of well-being is compromised. Kazmi et al. (2008) assert that the health profession is intrinsically stressful due to lengthy work hours, ethical difficulties, demanding patients, and incompatible expectations. The health sector in Nigeria is one of the most impacted sectors by the aforementioned issue. As a result, it is not immune from the aforementioned repercussions. There is, however, a dearth of study data about the effect of job stress on the performance of health workers in Nigeria in general, and specifically at Gwarinpka General Hospital in Abuja. This study will evaluate nurses' performance, the level of work stress among nurses, and the link between work stress and nurse performance.

1.3 Objective Of The Study

The main objective of this study is to examine the psychosocial effects of stress among nurses and midwives in Gwarinpka General Hospital, Abuja.

Specifically, we aim to:

1.        Examine some of the causes of stress among nurses at General Hospital.

2.        Determine the effect of stress on the performance of nurses at General Hospital.

3.        Evaluate the the Rate/frequency of Stress among nurses.

4.        Examine the Management of stress on nurses in General Hospital.

5.        Evaluate the Relationship between stress and performance of nurses in General Hospital.

1.4 Research Question

The questions that the study will seek to be answered are;

1.        What are some of the causes of stress among nurses at General Hospital?

2.        What is the effect of stress on the performance of nurses at General Hospital?

3.        What is the Rate/frequency of Stress among nurses?

4.        What are the stress management of techniques of nurses in General Hospital?

5.        What is the Relationship between stress and performance of nurses in General Hospital?

1.5 Significance of the Study

Nurses are the cornerstone of the nation‟s health care industry, they do not only offer care and comfort, but also serve as role models for good health care. There is therefore adequate justification to study the psychosocial effects of stress among nurses and midwives in Gwarinpka general hospital, Abuja. Such study will help the nurses to identify the causes of their stress and how to manage it and be able to deliver well to increase their performance.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study has two limitations concerning the findings. First, the study area of this research was a public hospital and even so only one public hospital represented all nurses. Secondly, this study cover nurses of the chosen hospital where by other medical staffs like laboratory technician, therapists, and administrators’ at the study area were not included. This suggests that the findings of this study would be limit at nurses of Gwarinpka General Hospital, Abuja only. There could be regional/cultural specific factors which may make results of this study specific to either the hospital characteristics or region’s culture and geographic location. A study with wider coverage of hospitals in the whole country would be able to mitigate the potential effects of these limitations.

1.7 Limitation of the Study

This research work is specifically on the Psychosocial Effects Of Stress Among Nurses And Midwives In Gwarinpka General Hospital, Abuja. In the limitation on research work of this magnitude or nature can be carried out without limitation. Hence, during the course, certain constraints were encountered.

Cost:

The cost of thorough research is not what can be afforded by a student. The prices of materials needed for this work has gone up and transport fee has also gone up.

Time:

The time was one of the limitations in the process of carrying out this research work.

Scarcity of Literature:

The research encountered some problems in collection of literature especially on the bank History and operations. This are hindered the smooth running of this work.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Stress:

Stress is the wear and tear of our body experienced as are adjust to continually changed environment.

Stress Management:

This can be define as various effort to control and reduce the tension that occurs in stressful situation.

Employee:

This is either skilled or unskilled individual who is assured to be economically gesture, and he/she is employed for some form is reward.

Work Environment:

This is the organizational arrangement of the work situation, which has a high impact on the employee.

Performance:

This is the degree of effectiveness in utilizing the facilities of production, especially in labour and material.

Destructive Stress:

This is the stress that acts in a dysfunctional way for both individual and the organization.

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