The effects of patient care in health care work: The effects of patient care on job stress, emotional exhaustion, and job satifaction among health care workers in Norway

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that patient care is a source of job stress and emotional exhaustion, but at the same time a source of job satisfaction. The present study examined the effects of hours spent in patient care on job stress, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction, and investigated the relationship between hardiness, job control and work-related support and the three dependent variables. A questionnaire survey, consisting of Cooper’s Job Stress Questionnaire, the Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Job Satisfaction Scale, and the revised Norwegian Dispositional Resilience Scale, was distributed to health care related occupational groups at six departments at a university hospital in Norway, with a response rate of 60%. Descriptive statistics, correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were computed, and analysis of variance and t-test were used for group comparisons. The results showed no significant effect of hours spent in patient care on the levels of job stress, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. As predicted, the findings indicate that hardiness, job control and support from supervisor were negatively related to job stress and emotional exhaustion, and positively related job satisfaction. Support from coworkers was positively related to job satisfaction, but no relationship was found with the other dependent variables. This study provides support for the importance of hardiness, job control and work-related support in health care work, and may imply that hardiness, perceived job control and work-related support diminish the potential negative effects of patient care. Implication for practice and directions for future research are discussed.