The Level of Stress, Anxiety, Depression and its association with Burnout Among Emergency Nurses in Palestine رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

Background: Nurses worldwide, and Palestinian nurses in particular, are exposed to many stress-causing pressures that affect their mental and physical health. However, the emergency nurses can be exposed to stress, anxiety, depression, physical, and psychological burdens, as a result of dealing with patients having serious illnesses, or dealing with relatives or families of patients. Chronic and persistent stress, anxiety, and depression can lead to burnout in nurses, especially among emergency department (ED) nurses. The prevalence of high levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout among ED workers has been attributed to high work pressure, shortages of resources and the nature of care along with witnessing human suffering. Objective: This study aimed to assess the levels of stress, anxiety, depression (SAD), and their association with burnout among emergency nurses in Palestine. Methods: The study design was a quantitative, cross-sectional survey. Data was collected by utilizing a self-administered questionnaire. The sample was composed of 227 nurses who worked at the emergency departments in West Bank hospitals and Jerusalem (Governmental, Non- Governmental; Charitable, Educational and Private Sector). The instruments used in this study were; Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21 (DASS‐21) and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). Results: The study revealed that the level of stress was 125 (55.1%), anxiety was 163 (71.8%), and depression (SAD) was: 154 (67.8%). Regarding the level of burnout, the results showed high levels of burnout among EDs nurses; 74 (32.6%) suffered from high occupational exhaustion, 86 (37.9%) from high depersonalization, and 194 (85.5) from low personal accomplishment. The study confirmed the prevalence of burnout was associated with hospital type, whereby private hospital staff had more burnout V compared with other hospital types (P=0.022). In addition, the significant difference between depression and age (p = 0.007), and between depression and marital status among nurses in the emergency department (p = 0.013). Conclusion: In this study, 227 emergency nurses were conducted in a multi-center study; from 15 hospitals, governmental and non-governmental hospitals this study revealed that the level of stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout among ER nurses were high. There was a significant relationship between depression with age and marital status, and between burnout with type of hospital.