THE EFFECTS OF JOB DEMANDS, JOB CONTROL, AND JOB SUPPORT ON JOB STRESS AMONG INTRAPARTUM NURSES IN THAILAND: A CAUSAL MODEL

Abstract

Intrapartum nurses are subjected to job stress in an environment that includes multiple stressors. Working conditions include increasing job demands, low control over their job situations, and a lack of job support from supervisors and colleagues that contribute to the negative emotional reactions or job stress among intrapartum nurses. Job stress is a major issue that threatens not only individuals but also hospital organizations. The main purpose of this study was to test a causal model of effects of job demands, job control, and job support on job stress among intrapartum nurses in Thailand. A total of 272 intrapartum nurses working at a tertiary hospital under supervison of Ministry of Public Health were recruited using multistage sampling technique. A set of questionnaires were used to collect data. The structural equation model has been tested by using the AMOS software application.

The results showed that the final model fit the empirical data (χ2 = 57.76, df = 22, CMIN/df = 2.62, GFI =.96, AGFI =.91, CFI =.95, and RMSEA =.07). Among the variables tested, job demands were the strongest predictors of job stress, and high job control can contribute to job stress. While job support has no effect on job stress. The effects of job demands, job control, and job support on job stress among intrapartum nurses in Thailand can explain 67% of the total variance for job stress.

These findings suggest that intrapartum nurses who encounter high job demands and less job control would suffer from job stress. Therefore, strategies to decrease job stress among intrapartum nurses could focus on how to balance job demands, and enhance job control and job support. Nurse administrators should be aware of this issue in order to protect intrapartum nurses resigned their nursing profession, which leads to the most intense nursing shortage.

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