The Impact of Work-Related Stress on the Performance of Staff Nurses

Abstract

Work-related stress remains a major challenge in healthcare settings, particularly in public hospitals where staff nurses frequently operate under heavy workloads, limited resources, unclear roles, and demanding physical environments. This study examined the impact of work-related stress on the performance of staff nurses working in government teaching hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected from 382 staff nurses selected from 20 government teaching hospitals through proportionate stratified random sampling. The study measured work overload stress, lack of motivation stress, physical environment stress, role ambiguity stress, burnout, professional experience, and job performance using a structured questionnaire. Data were analysed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS), while structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to assess direct, mediating, and moderating relationships among the variables. The findings revealed that role ambiguity, poor physical environment, work overload, and lack of motivation contributed to burnout symptoms among nurses, which in turn negatively affected their job performance. However, professional experience strengthened nurses’ ability to cope with stressful conditions and positively influenced performance outcomes. The study concludes that reducing workplace stress, improving hospital environments, clarifying job roles, strengthening motivation systems, and supporting experienced nursing staff can enhance nurses’ performance and improve the quality of patient care in public teaching hospitals.

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