Stress levels among health care professionals in Malta : the role of the work environment : a study within the health care professionals working at Mater Dei Hospital and primary health care

Abstract

This study was undertaken to explore, or rather define, at what severity health care professionals experience stress and what the main causes are. It is also important to identify signs of stress and consequently, the symptoms that stress creates in a person. This research will study how primary healthcare workers react to stress and how they cope with it. This topic was chosen since it is believed that personnel working in the health industry are more likely to have a higher level of stress compared to other professionals. Personnel working in this sector should be considered as the frontliners that play a very important role in the health and well-being of patients. Such a study is vital for Management and Personnel responsible for Human resources to ensure and safeguard the well-being of the staff in the health sector. This case study is based on healthcare workers at Mater Dei Hospital and other primary health workers. A questionnaire, which was the tool used to collect the data was distributed, to which there were 298 participants. These included doctors and nurses working both in wards as well as in the Intensive Care Unit, the Emergency Department, the Operating Theatre and in Day Care Centres. Respondents also included clerks, physiotherapists and personnel engaged in clinical services. The questionnaire was based mainly to shed light on the day-to-day stressors, symptoms resulting from these stressors and how one copes with stress. It was also important to identify other issues like ethical dilemma, the work environment, working tools and resources, and which category is bound to suffer from more stress due to the department one works in. Data collected was analysed by the SPSS software. The findings of this survey should also compare well with other studies conducted in different areas of the health sector like with nurses working in Mental Health, Midwives, etc. both in local studies carried out as well as in another research carried out overseas. The survey should also determine whether acute stress could lead to absenteeism due to the risk of negative health issues. Such a situation could be to the detriment of colleagues as well as to the smooth running of the wards and departments. One must consider the fact that this study was carried out during a pandemic and, therefore, the results and the level of stress that the frontliners felt could have been influenced by the state of affairs that this pandemic brought about. Besides dealing with the normal day to day issues, doctors and nurses might have had to deal with the emergencies that the pandemic brought about with it.