Occupational Stress and Associated Risk Factors Among Nurses in Hebron Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Study from the West Bank, Palestine.

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational stress among nurses poses a significant challenge to healthcare systems, particularly in under-resourced and high-demand settings such as Palestine. Despite their critical role, limited research has addressed the prevalence and contributing factors of occupational stress among Palestinian nurses.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of occupational stress among nurses working in Hebron hospitals and identify key stressors and associated demographic and occupational risk factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between December 2023 and March 2024 involving 140 nurses from four hospitals in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine. Data were collected using the 34-item Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Occupational Stress Scale. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, and regression analysis were applied using SPSS version 23.

Results: All participants (100%) reported moderate levels of occupational stress, with a mean score of 92.47 (SD = 5.92). The highest stressors were related to workload and role conflict, including excessive job demands and conflicting responsibilities (M = 4.07 and 3.81, respectively). Moderate stressors included time pressure and limited autonomy, while low-stress areas were associated with interpersonal respect and role clarity. No statistically significant associations were found between occupational stress scores and demographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, job title, or work experience (p > 0.05). The uniform moderate-stress scores may reflect cultural response tendencies toward avoiding extreme ratings, desensitization to chronic stress, or potential limitations in the sensitivity of the HSE scale in this context.

Conclusion: Nurses in Hebron face moderate occupational stress primarily due to systemic and organizational factors rather than personal demographics. These findings should be interpreted cautiously in light of study limitations, including the use of convenience sampling, a relatively small sample size, and possible cultural or contextual influences on self-reported stress. Interventions targeting workload management, supportive leadership, and work autonomy are recommended to mitigate stress and promote well-being.