Developing and validating a tool to assess nurse stress

Nursing is generally perceived as a demanding profession. There is a rising necessity for healthcare administrators to tackle the aspects leading to nurse stress and work burnout as a means towards maintaining a stable and continuous workforce at healthcare institutions.The study aimed at the development of a reliable and valid tool for measuring nursing staff stress and burnout at the University Hospital of King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed. All registered high nurses working at the hospital were included in the study. The total number accounted for 260 nurses. The study revealed a valid and reliable scale. Such results were indicated through face validity, content validity, and principal component analysis using the varimax rotation for the fifteen statements included in the questionnaire. The PCA explained 56.4% of the variance and concluded 3 main components under which the statements would be categorized. Dimensions were given suitable headings as follows; work aspects, working conditions, and workload. Reliability was assessed and revealed an internal consistency (Cronbach alpha=0.8) and a split-half Spearman-Brown coefficient for unequal length r= 0.79. In conclusion, the study demonstrated a short valid and reliable scale to assess the stressful areas for nurses. The scale is convenient for use by healthcare managers at different medical situations. Further studies are recommended for the use of the tool on representative samples of Saudi nurses.