Job Related Stress among Mental Health Nurses in Ghana

Abstract

Despite the fact that mental health nurses are more prone to job stressors, little research has been done on stress in their day to day activities at the hospital. This study therefore identified the causes of job related stress among mental health nurses, assessed the effects of job related stress on mental healthcare delivery and explored coping strategies among mental health nurses. Based on a mixed method approach, the study was based on nurses at the Accra Psychiatric Hospital. The study found that a high proportion of nurses found their work stressful. The study found that age, rank, ward and shift are background characteristics that influence stress. Aggressive patients, inadequate logistics and low nurse to patient ratio was the major causes of stress. The study also revealed that stress has an effect on the delivery of health services by mental health nurses. Stress was also found to negatively affect the physical health and psychological health of nurses. In order to cope with the stressful demands of their work, the comparative majority of the respondents indicated that sometimes they go on leave when they realise they needed one. To cope with stress while on duty, the study found that nurses call on their colleagues for assistance in handling stressful situations. It therefore behoves Government to put in measures and policies to regulate and reduce the effects of stress on nurses.