Unveiling the Link: Caffeine Use Disorder, Perceived Stress and Work Life Quality in Critical Care Nurses

Critical care nurses often experience low work-life quality due to the highly stressful nature of their working conditions. Nurses often turn to stimulants like caffeine to boost alertness and performance in the challenging work environment.

This study aimed to investigate the correlation between caffeine use disorder, perceived stress and quality of work life among nurses working in critical care settings of a state hospital in Turkey.

This descriptive and correlational study included 130 nurses working in critical care units.

Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Caffeine Use Disorder Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Quality of Work Life Scale. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation analysis.

The caffeine consumption rate among nurses was remarkably high, especially among those who were dependent on caffeine, believed it had a positive impact on their care and consumed it during stressful situations (p < 0.05). There was no significant relationship between caffeine use disorder and perceived stress levels (r = 0.096, p > 0.05, 95% CI [-0.078, 0.264]). However, as quality of work life decreased, perceived stress (r = -0.243, p < 0.01, 95% CI [-0.398, -0.073]) and caffeine use disorder (r = -0.186, p < 0.05, 95% CI [-0.347, -0.014]) increased. Based on the Caffeine Use Disorder Scale, 7.69% of the nurses scored 25 or above, indicating a moderate to high level of caffeine use disorder.

As caffeine use disorder and perceived stress levels increased, nurses' quality of work life decreased. Therefore, it is recommended that nurses receive psychoeducational interventions to enhance their knowledge of caffeine use disorders and adaptive coping strategies.

This study highlights the need to address caffeine use disorder and stress among critical care nurses to improve work-life quality and well-being. Implementing educational programs on healthy caffeine use and stress management can enhance nurses' resilience, job performance and patient care outcomes, promoting a sustainable work environment in high-stress settings.