PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS, WORK SATISFACTION, AND BRAIN INJURY NURSING

The psychological stress and work satisfaction of two groups of nurses working with clients having brain injuries were assessed and compared with norm groups of people working with other types of injuries and disabilities. Contrary to previously published reports, there was no evidence that the groups in this study were higher on measures of burnout than the selected norm groups. However, work satisfaction was found to be significantly lower for one of the groups when compared not only with the other group but also with the selected norm groups. This lower work satisfaction was associated with significantly lower scores on certain aspects of the work environment when compared with the other group. Results from semi-structured interviews in the study confirmed the importance of the work environment and provided additional information concerning causes of the lower work satisfaction and possible solutions.