Patterns of work-related stress and their predictors among emergency department nurses and emergency medical services staff in a time of crisis: a latent profile analysis

Abstract

Background Previous studies have shown that a disease outbreak may cause high stress among healthcare workers. However, the vast majority of those studies applied a variable-centered approach, in which relationships between the variables are believed to be identical across the studied population. The main purpose of this study was to identify latent profiles of healthcare workers with similar combinations of levels of various work-related stressors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to examine their predictors. Methods A cross-sectional paper-and-pencil study was conducted among a convenience sample of 297 emergency department (ED) nurses and 219 emergency medical services (EMS) staff members working in 10 hospital EDs and 52 EMS centers in Ardabil province, Iran. Data were collected using the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool (HSE-MS IT). Results Using the latent profile analysis (LPA), five work-related stress profiles were identified: “high stress with a good understanding of one’s job role” (11.1%), “moderate stress” (41.9%), “relatively high stress with average demands and a very low understanding of one’s job role” (23.8%), “low stress” (18.0%), and “generally low stress but with very high job demands and relational conflicts” (5.2%). Age, marital status, service location, workplace, and the number of overtime hours significantly predicted profile membership. Conclusion The results of the study suggest the importance of incorporating various sources of stress and using the person-centered approach when investigating the work-related stress of healthcare workers during disease outbreaks. Identifying sociodemographic and work-related predictors of profile membership may be useful for preparing interventions that will be better suited to healthcare workers’ needs.

Clinical Research in Prehospital Care: Current and Future Challenges

“…As a result, many researchers struggle to access funding to support their investigations, which can lead to underpowered studies with limited generalizability [54]. Emergency medical services personnel are often overworked, and their primary focus is on providing immediate medical care to patients [55]. As a result, it can be challenging to recruit personnel to participate in research studies or to allocate time to collect data.…”

Patterns of information literacy and their predictors among emergency department nurses: a latent profile analysis based on the Person-Context interaction theory

“…So far, little is known about the level of information literacy among emergency department nurses. And a common drawback of existing research on information literacy among clinical nurses was that it was based on the assumption of population homogeneity and focused on explaining relationships between variables of interest in demographic information [32]. Given the crucial role of information in the context of emergency departments, it becomes imperative to enhance the information literacy level of emergency department nursing staff and investigate whether there exist different information literacy clusters in emergency department nurses.…”

The influence of supportive work environment on work‐related stress and conflict management style among emergency care nurses: A descriptive correlational study

“…Work‐related stress can have a significant impact on the relationship between a supportive work environment and conflict management style among emergency nurses. When nurses experience high levels of stress due to the demands and pressures of their job, they may be less likely to utilize effective conflict management strategies (Charzyńska et al., 2023). The stress may make them more prone to adopting an avoidant or aggressive conflict management style, which can further escalate conflicts and strain relationships within the workplace.…”