Factors Affecting Job Stress of Pediatric Nurses: Focusing on Self-Efficacy, Emotional Labor, Pediatric Nurse-Parent Partnership

Purpose: In this study self-efficacy, emotional labor, pediatric nurse-parent partnership and job stress of pediatric nurses were examined. Factors affecting job stress of pediatric nurses were also investigated. Methods: The study was done between June and September 2014, with a convenience sample of 145 nurses from 3 advanced general hospitals, 5 general hospitals and 2 children’s hospitals. Research data were collected via questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 18.0. Results: Average levels of self-efficacy, emotional labor and job stress were similar to other general nurses and the average level of pediatric nurse-parent partnership was also similar to other pediatric nurses. Job stress of pediatric nurses showed a positive correlation with emotional labor and negative correlations with self-efficacy and pediatric nurse-parent partnership. The most significant factor affecting job stress in pediatric nurses was emotional labor (β = 0.372, p < .001). The combination of emotional labor, pediatric nurse-parent partnership and self-efficacy accounted for 25.4% of job stress in pediatric nurses. Conclusion: These results suggest that nursing management strategies to decrease emotional labor and improve pediatric nurse-parent partnerships and self-efficacy are critical to decrease job stress for pediatric nurses. Continued development of nursing management interventions to decrease job stress in pediatric nurses is suggested.