Levels and determinants of perceived stress among psychiatric nurses working at Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

Care giving for individuals with demanding mental health conditions exposes psychiatric nurses to unique challenges in their role and the potential for development of stress, which could impact their quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived stress and the quality of life among psychiatric nurses at Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital (MNTRH), Nairobi, Kenya. The study objectives were to assess the levels of perceived stress and examine the factors contributing to perceived stress at MNTRH. This study was anchored on the Systematic Theory of Stress and Lazarus' Theory of Stress. A quantitative approach with a correlational design was used to conduct the study using a census sampling with a sample size of 120 psychiatric nurses. The sample included both male and female aged between 21 and 60 years. Respondents’ demographic characteristics were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire. SPSS V 29 was used in data analysis. The findings showed that the perceived stress levels were moderate (82.8%). Age, gender, marital status, years of experience, qualification, work setting, shift type, and weekly working hours had no statistically significant influence on the stress levels experienced by the psychiatric nurses. The study observed moderate perceived stress among the psychiatric nurses. No demographic factor was observed to significantly influence the perceived stress. The study findings indicate that more emphasis should be placed on the practice rather than the background factors of the psychiatric nurses.