[Which occupational groups in a hospital are particularly stressed?]

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Workplace Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Increasing workload and its health consequences for healthcare professionals are widely reported.
• Workplace health promotion networks aim to mitigate these issues.
• Employee attitude surveys provide insights into occupational well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze employee attitude survey results from a university hospital network.
• To compare the well-being of three occupational groups within the hospital against external industry samples.
• To identify specific targets for health promotion initiatives.

Main Methods:

• A standardized employee attitude survey was administered to 1748 employees across six companies from 2005-2007.
• Five occupational groups were selected for comparison: hospital medical, nursing, and administrative staff, plus employees from another company and a financial service provider.
• Data analysis focused on comparing responses across these distinct occupational groups.

Main Results:

• Nurses reported specific issues like lower back pain and skin diseases; clinicians experienced exhaustion.
• Hospital administrative staff responses aligned with medical professionals, differing significantly from external administrative employees.
• Hospital employees across all groups reported frustration, lack of appreciation, and a desire for improved work atmosphere and communication on innovations.

Conclusions:

• Standardized surveys effectively identify health promotion targets within specific occupational groups.
• A consistent high burden of work-related stress affects hospital staff, including administrative roles.
• Urgent interventions are required to improve working conditions in hospitals.