Stressful Factors in the Working Environment, Lack of Adequate Sleep, and Musculoskeletal Pain among Nursing Unit Managers

Hjördís Sigursteinsdóttir, Hafdís Skúladóttir, Thórey Agnarsdóttir and Sigrídur Halldórsdóttir
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Hjördís Sigursteinsdóttir: School of Business and Science, University of Akureyri, Nordurslod 2, 600 Akureyri, Iceland
Hafdís Skúladóttir: School of Health Sciences, University of Akureyri, Nordurslod 2, 600 Akureyri, Iceland
Thórey Agnarsdóttir: Environmental and Public Health Authority, Furuvellir 1, 600 Akureyri, Iceland
Sigrídur Halldórsdóttir: School of Health Sciences, University of Akureyri, Nordurslod 2, 600 Akureyri, Iceland

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-12

Abstract: Background: Middle managers have not received enough attention within the healthcare field, and little is known how stressful factors in their work environment coupled with a lack of adequate sleep are related to musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between stressful factors in the work environment, lack of adequate sleep, and pain/discomfort in three body areas. Methods: Questionnaire was sent electronically to all female nursing unit managers (NUM) in Iceland through the outcome-survey system. The response rate was 80.9%. Results: NUM who had high pain/discomfort in the neck area also had very high pain/discomfort in the shoulder area and pain in the lower back. The results also revealed positive a medium-strong correlation between mental and physical exhaustion at the end of the workday and musculoskeletal pain. Stress in daily work, mental strain at work, and being under time-pressures had hardly any correlation with pain/discomfort in the three body parts. Adequate sleep had a significant negative correlation with all stressful factors in the work environment and all three body parts under review. Conclusion: The results will hopefully lead to a better consideration of stressful factors in the work environment, sleep, and musculoskeletal pain in middle managers.

Keywords: working environment; middle managers; nursing unit managers; musculoskeletal pain; stress factors; adequate sleep (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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