Workplace Stress and Ethical Challenges Experienced by Nursing Staff in a Nursing Home

This research explores the workplace stress and ethical challenges reported by healthcare staff in a nursing home. A brief self-report survey was administered to 44 members of the nursing staff in a not-for-profit nursing home. The survey included items that elicited identification of specific workplace stressors and ethical challenges and global assessments of job-satisfaction, psychological stress, and perceived pressures that may affect provision of care. There were also items dealing with the perceived benefit of prospective in-service training programs. Content analyses indicated interactions with residents as the most frequent source of stress and ethical challenges encountered by nursing staff. Further, results of correlational analyses suggested psychological stress to be associated with job satisfaction and pressure to take shortcuts in the provision of care. Continuing education via in-service training that addresses workplace stress and ethical challenges in nursing care is discussed.