Nearly one-half report a high degree of work stress
Health-care providers are more stressed than other employees, according to a new Statistics Canada study.
The study, Work Stress Among Health Care Providers, found 45 per cent, or 413,000 health-care workers, reported most days at work in 2003 were "quite" or "extremely" stressful.
Among all other employed people, only 31 per cent reported this level of stress.
Head nurses and nurse supervisors were among the most stressed of all health-care workers with 67 per cent of them reporting high work stress.
Other health-care professionals with high levels of stress included medical laboratory technicians, specialist physicians, general practitioners and family physicians, and registered nurses. The proportions of these professionals reporting high work stress ranged from 58 per cent to 64 per cent.
Dental hygienists were among the least likely to report high job stress at 19 per cent. Physiotherapists and nurse aides and orderlies were also less likely to report high job stress at 29 per cent and 34 per cent respectively.
When broken down by age, health-care workers aged 35 to 54 were the most stressed, with about one-half reporting high work stress.
Not surprisingly, the longer the hours worked, the more stress health-care workers reported. Health-care workers who worked 35 hours or more per week were more likely to report high stress than those working fewer than 35 hours.
The study, Work Stress Among Health Care Providers, found 45 per cent, or 413,000 health-care workers, reported most days at work in 2003 were "quite" or "extremely" stressful.
Among all other employed people, only 31 per cent reported this level of stress.
Head nurses and nurse supervisors were among the most stressed of all health-care workers with 67 per cent of them reporting high work stress.
Other health-care professionals with high levels of stress included medical laboratory technicians, specialist physicians, general practitioners and family physicians, and registered nurses. The proportions of these professionals reporting high work stress ranged from 58 per cent to 64 per cent.
Dental hygienists were among the least likely to report high job stress at 19 per cent. Physiotherapists and nurse aides and orderlies were also less likely to report high job stress at 29 per cent and 34 per cent respectively.
When broken down by age, health-care workers aged 35 to 54 were the most stressed, with about one-half reporting high work stress.
Not surprisingly, the longer the hours worked, the more stress health-care workers reported. Health-care workers who worked 35 hours or more per week were more likely to report high stress than those working fewer than 35 hours.
