Predictive Influence of Job Stress on Mental Health and Work Behaviour of Nurses in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

People react to stress in different ways, some coping much better than others and suffering fewer of the harmful effects in their behaviour and wellbeing. Just as stress differs as a function of the individual, it also differs as a function of one’s type of occupation. Some occupations are, of course, inherently more stressful than others. All of the stress-strain-health relationships have an obvious impact on the organization and industry. Occupational stress is becoming increasingly globalized and affects all countries, all professions and all categories of workers, as well as families and society in general. Job stressed has made the quality of service delivery of workers to reduce drastically and as such many rich people with high socio-economic status end up moving their family abroad when they are unhealthy. The poor men with low socio-economic status end up exposing themselves to low quality of service delivery in the hospitals. These always lead to the increment in the maternal mortality and incessant death of infants in the country which serve as part of what the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at curbing before 2015.The aim of this study was to investigate predictive influence of job stress on mental health and work behaviour of nurses in the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Descriptive research design was used in the study. Three hundred respondents were selected from the nurses of the University College Hospital, Ibadan Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. The respondents were measured with relevant standardized scale (instruments) which has a revalidated reliability coefficient of .80 and the data obtained was analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC) statistical analysis of the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS). Two research hypotheses were raised and answered in the study. The result showed that there was significant relationship between the job stress and the mental health of nurses in the hospital (r= .828; P<0.05) and that there was significant relationship between the job stress and work behaviour of nurses in the hospital (r= .867; P<0.05). On the strength of these findings, it was stressed and advocated the need to ensure that efficient nursing care is given to the patients, the government (Federal, State) the Ministries of Health or the hospital management boards should help in reducing sources of stress in the nurses. Their working conditions need to be quickly improved by giving them adequate salary that commensurate with the demands of their jobs.

Keywords: Job stress, mental health and work behaviours