Effect of Workload on Job Stress of Ghanaian OPD Nurses: The Role of Coworker Support
Date
2019
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Safety and Health at Work
Abstract
Background: Although the concept of workload is important to nursing practice, only a few nursing
researchers have focused on the issue of workload within the nursing context. Knowledge of how the
dynamics of workload affects the job stress of nurses working in a specific unit or department in a
hospital setting, and the influence of coworker support on this relationship, still remains limited. This
study, therefore examined the effect of workload on job stress of Ghanaian outpatient department nurses
and the moderating effect of coworker support on this relationship.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used, and questionnaire was used to collect data from a
sample of 216 outpatient department nurses from four major hospitals in Ghana. The data collected
measured workload, job stress, and coworker support using National Aeronautics and Space Adminis tration (NASA) Task Load Index, job stress scale, and coworker support scale, respectively. Data were
analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and hierarchical regression.
Results: High levels of workload were associated with high levels of job stress of the nurses. Also, higher
levels of workload were related to higher levels of job stress for nurses who received high levels of
coworker support, but this was not the case for those who received low levels of coworker support
(reserve buffering effect).
Conclusion: The finding reiterates the adverse effect of workloads on employees’ health, and the reverse
buffering effect implies that supporting a colleague at work should be conveyed in a positive manner
devoid of negative appraisal.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Coworker support, Job stress, Workload