An exploration of district nurses' perception of occupational stress

Many studies in nurse occupational stress have been carried out on high-dependency areas in general nursing, while community nursing has been neglected. District nurses, however, appear to be under increasing pressure, especially in the light of recent NHS reforms. This study aimed to explore district nurses' experiences in relation to the range and severity of stressful work-related events encountered in district nursing practice. The study was undertaken in a Yorkshire community healthcare NHS trust, with a convenience sample of 50 qualified district nurses, of which 38 successfully completed the questionnaire. The sample included F, G and H grade levels working both full-time and part-time. The research design adopted was a descriptive, non-experimental cross-sectional survey, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. Data were collected using the Community Health Nurses' Perceptions of Work-Related Stressors Questionnaire (Walcott-McQuigg and Ervin, 1992). Results revealed that the most stressful aspects of work for this group of district nurses were: work overload; climate of change; nursing patients with complex care needs; lack of teamwork with other departments, and family responsibilities (home/work interface). Results were consistent with much of the evidence reported in the literature, demonstrating that district nurses are a comparatively stressed group of healthcare professionals.