Relationships Among Work Stress, Job Satisfaction, Mental Health and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors in New Graduate Nurses Attending the Nurse AthleteTM Program

Purpose:

While nurses are educated to take outstanding care of others, they themselves often have poor health outcomes, including high rates of depression and overweight, which are associated with stressful work environments.  Further, a high percentage of new graduate nurses leave their positions in the first year of employment, resulting in exorbitant costs to healthcare systems.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among key variables known to influence job satisfaction and healthy lifestyle behaviors of new graduate nurses, including workplace stress, work environment, lifestyle beliefs and mental health.

Methods:

A descriptive correlational design was used with baseline data from 61 new graduate nurses attending a two-day Nurse Athlete^TM  program that focuses on nutrition, energy management and physical activity. Valid and reliable instruments were used to measure the study’s variables.

Results:

Overall the participants reported good psychosocial health with very low anxiety (M = 3.4, SD = 2.5) and depressive symptoms (M = 4.9, SD = 3.8), moderate workplace stress (M = 18.7, SD = 4.1), high job satisfaction (M = 12.6, SD = 3.4) and strong resiliency (M = 29.7, SD = 4.5). There were moderate positive correlations among workplace stress and job satisfaction (r = .53, p<.01) and depressive symptoms (r = .41, p<.01), and mild positive relationships with resiliency (r = .33, p<.01) and anxiety (r = .31, p<.05).  

Conclusion:

Nurse leaders and managers must invest in creating healthy work environments for new and experienced nurses as well as provide mental health screening, resources and intervention programs that focus on education and skills-building in health promoting behaviors, including emotional regulation of stress, anxiety and depression.