The Association Between Clinical Nurses' Work Environment, Job Stress, and Health Locus of Control and Presenteeism in South Korea

This study aimed to examine the relationship between the work environment, job stress, and health locus of control and presenteeism among clinical nurses in South Korea. A cross-sectional, descriptive correlational study was conducted on clinical nurses (n = 276) from general hospitals in two small cities. Data were collected via a self-administered structured questionnaire from 1 to 14 December 2022. Descriptive and stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted for this study. The work environment (ß = -0.28, < 0.001) and education (ß = -0.13, = 0.031) were significant predictors of health problems, explaining 10% of the variance. Job stress (ß = 0.34, < 0.001), external locus of control (ß = 0.25, < 0.001), physician control locus (ß = -0.15, = 0.006), work department (ß = -0.13, = 0.018), and marital status (ß = -0.13, = 0.022) significantly predicted job impairment, accounting for 25% of the variance. For perceived productivity, job stress (ß = -0.18, = 0.003), marital status (ß = 0.18, = 0.002), and external locus of control (ß = -0.16, = 0.007) were influential, explaining 8% of the variance. To mitigate presenteeism among clinical nurses, interventions should focus on improving the work environment at the organizational level and addressing job stress and health locus of control at the individual level. By implementing targeted strategies, healthcare institutions can reduce job impairment and enhance productivity among nursing staff.