Nurse’s Roles and the Mediating Effects of Stress on Job Performance in Low and Developing Economies

Joshua Chiroma Gandi, Wukatda Wokji Beben, Yohanna Gyarazama

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DOI: 10.4236/psych.2011.24051                

Abstract

The role of nursing is observed to have been associated with multiple and conflicting demands. This study was designed to examine nurse’s roles and the mediating effects of stress on job performance in low and developing economies. Participants were hospital-based Nurses (n = 373) measured with “Maslach Burnout Inventory- General Survey, Job Autonomy Questionnaire, Questionnaire on Organizational Stress-Doetinchem and Job Diagnostic Survey”. The role of work-home interference (WHI) and home-work interference (HWI) with respect to work characteristics, burnout, and gender were analyzed, using SPSS 15.01 version. No gender differences in burnout levels; WHI and HWI were found to mediate the relationship between work characteristics and burnout. Lack of significant gender difference regarding burnout might be due to the fact that men and women in Nigeria have similar working conditions. High workload and home roles seem contributory to high levels of exhaustion. Evidence indicate the need to lower the pace of work and number of patients per Nurse, to decrease workload thereby reducing emotional exhaustion. There is sufficient evidence to believe that work stress is a factor among health care personnel. To derive a better understanding of stress and burnout in the workplace, studies need to move beyond the tendency of using descriptive designs. Such studies would aid understanding the effect of stress and burnout on patient safety (outcomes).

Keywords

Gender, Home-Work Interference (HWI), Job Performance, Nurse’s Roles, Nursing, Work-Home Interference (WHI), Stress

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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