Job Satisfaction and Stress Levels of Nurses Working in Oncology Wards; A Multicenter Study

Background: Oncology nurses work in a stressful environment. Subsequently, stress cause job dissatisfaction and mental exhaustion. The aim of our study was to determine the most important factors that affect satisfaction and stress levels among the nurses in the oncology ward. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study has been performed on 156 working nurses of three Iranian Universities of Medical Sciences (Hormozgan, Zahedan, and Shiraz) during a period of 3 months from January to March in 2015. The values of satisfaction and stress levels were assessed by a modified translated version of McCloskey/Mueller Satisfaction Scale questionnaire. Results: The highest percentage of dissatisfaction (unsatisfied and very unsatisfied) was respectively in the field of income (87.8), occupational safety in nursing profession (78.2), work environment and facilities (75.6) and the relation between nursing and personal life (72.4). The main areas of stress (very high and high) respectively wherein the field of impact of stress on personal life (84), communication with patients (83.3), stressful environment (82.7) and using safe equipment in the workplace (74.4). Conclusion: Based on our results, the most common issues related to stress and dissatisfaction of nurses of oncology ward were determined as financial issues, occupational safety, stressful environment, and the impact of their work on the personal life. Managers and healthcare providers should be noticed in this regard and take into account these important issues by implementing appropriate interventions. Considering stress-reduction program, regular visits by psychologists and more vacation can also help to relieve their stress.