Occupational stress and job performance among Iranian hospital nurses: A cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND: Occupational stress is one of the most important factors affecting nurse performance. However, there is a lack of data about the association between occupational stress and performance. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the occupational stress level and its association with job performance in hospital staff. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 hospital staff of Tehran University of medical sciences in 2018. Subjects completed the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance questionnaire (WHO HPQ) for demographic and occupational characteristics, and the Short Form of Copenhagen questionnaire. RESULTS: The demand and individual interface domain received the highest and the lowest score of occupational stress respectively. We found that the median for absenteeism distribution was 16 hours and, in our study, less than 10 % of the nurses had low performance. Working in intensive care units, fewer night shifts, higher income, higher levels of vitality, and social support could decrease absenteeism. In addition, staff who felt more supported and reported lower emotional demands had higher performance. CONCLUSION: Since higher levels of social support could have positive influences on reducing absenteeism and improving performance, it is recommended that hospital managers should be encouraged to use educational programs, coping behaviors, and effective interventions to improve social support. Financial incentives are a factor that could also be used to reduce absenteeism.