Organizational and work-related factors associated with occupational stress among clinical nursing staff in Ahvaz Naft Hospital

Abstract

Job stress is a major psychosocial challenge in healthcare, with potential negative effects on workforce well-being and quality of care. However, limited evidence exists regarding differences in occupational stress patterns across clinical units in this context. This study aimed to assess occupational stress among clinical personnel in Ahvaz Naft Hospital, Iran. A descriptive–analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between April to August 2025 among 114 clinical personnel. Occupational stress was assessed using the standardized Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Management Standards Indicator Tool. Comparative analyses were performed using independent-samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance. Multiple linear regression analysis was subsequently conducted to identify factors independently associated with HSE scores after adjustment for potential confounding variables. The overall mean HSE score was 121.8 ± 11.7. Significant differences were observed across hospital departments (P = 0.035), daily working hours (P = 0.045), shift work (P = 0.032), and physical activity (P = 0.023). The highest HSE score was observed among staff working in the general operating room (131.0), indicating more favorable psychosocial working conditions and lower occupational stress, whereas the lowest was recorded in the women’s neurology and psychiatry ward (115.7), indicating comparatively higher occupational stress. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, hospital department, daily working hours, shift work, and physical activity remained independently associated with HSE scores. Psychosocial working conditions differed significantly across hospital departments. Staff working in the women’s neurology and psychiatry ward achieved the lowest HSE score, indicating comparatively higher occupational stress, whereas personnel in the general operating room achieved the highest score, reflecting more favorable psychosocial working conditions and lower occupational stress. Hospital department, daily working hours, shift work, and physical activity remained significant independent correlates of HSE score after multivariable adjustment, highlighting the importance of organizational factors in shaping psychosocial working conditions among hospital personnel.