Analysis of job stress and stress management methods among employed physicians in the emergency departments of selected hospitals in Yazd City, Iran

Abstract

Background: Stress in jobs such as medicine can cause physiological and psychological damage. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate and compare the stress among emergency physicians, identify strategies for managing stress, and ranking these strategies. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 91 emergency physicians of Shahid Sadoughi, Shohadaye Kargar, Afshar, and Shahid Rahnemoon hospitals in Yazd City, Iran, in year 2017. The participants were selected using convenience sampling method. In this survey, we studied general physicians, emergency medicine specialists, and the residents of internal medicine, general surgery, cardiology, and emergency medicine. The questionnaire used in this article was obtained from Miguel research, and according to the opinion of the professors, its questions reduced from 192 to 125 questions, and after verification of validity and reliability, it was used. Findings: Afshar hospital had the highest mean of stress (325.20 ± 57.30), and hospitals of Shahid Sadoughi (304.9 ± 52.8), Shahid Rahnemoon (288.02 ± 39.01), and Shohadaye Kargar (174.70 ± 21.60) were ranked next. Moreover, the dimensions of communication with the supervisor (17.40 ± 2.29) and communication with the staff had the lowest (20.24 ± 2.60) and medical care in general (18.20 ± 2.73) and family conditions (27.12 ± 2.98) had the highest mean of dimensional stress. The results of ranking stress management strategies also showed that emergency doctors showed negative reactions in stressful situations to reduce stress. Conclusion: Emergency practitioners work in a high-profile environment, which reduces their work efficiency and burnout. Therefore, recognizing the dimensions of stress and its management solutions can improve working conditions. © 2019 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.