The purpose of this study was to assess how job stress affects the nursing performance of emergerncy room nurses. Data were collected from 210 emergency room nurses at 20 general hospitals, with more than 200 beds, in Pusan, Taegu and Kungbuk province, between October 5 and October 15, 1998. The instruments used for this study were the job stress scale which was developed by Mae Ja, Kim and Mi Ok, Gu(1984), and nursing performance of nurses scale developed by Kwi Ae, Chung(1989). Data Analysis was done using t-test, ANOVA, Tukey test, and Pearson Correlation.
The results were as follows :
1. The highest rank of job stress items, emergency room nursing were as follows with lessening order when physicians delegate their clinical responsibilities to nurses (M =3.12 0.69). The most stressed factor among the nursing works was reported as night duty (M = 2.990.87 ).
2. The mean score of nursing performance items, to prevent patient from falling or other injury(M3.690.50).
3. Our study reveals that there was statistically significant negative correlation relationship between stress level and emergency room nursing performance(r=0.14, 1)=0.0454), in other words, the more stress the nurses experienced, the weaker their nursing performance became. Two factors, heavy work load(r=0.30, p=0.0001), and poor compensation (r==0.15, p=0.031), were negativly related to nursing performance.
4. The study revealed that the group with monthly income experienced less stress(F=2.71, p= 0.0461). Also, the degree of stress was significantly lower in the group with work experience (F=3.01, p=0.0313). Stress varied according to position : superintendent nurse showed a lower level of stress than lay nurses and change nurses (F=2.93, p=0.0349).
5. There was significant difference in the degree of nursing performance according to religion(F= 3.97, p = 0.0088).
In conclusion, there was statistically significant negative correlations between job stress and nursing performance. so there is need for special consideration in nursing administration in terms of reducing the job stress in emergency nursing.
Suggestions based on this study as follows.
1. Further study is necessary to examine variables that influence job stress and nursing performance.
2. The experrnental study is needed for an effectiveness of systematic and individual effort in order to reduce or manage nurses´stress in the emergency room.
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