Impact of shift work and department type upon strain and attitudinal measures of hospital nurses

The effects of shift work (fixed versus rotating), type of hospital department (intensive care unit versus non-ICU), and job scope on stress and attitudes have been reported previously. The goal of the present study was to examine the interactive, as well as individual, impact of these variables on measures of perceived work stress, strain, work satisfaction and withdrawal intentions. Respondents in the study were nurses in a large general hospital in Israel. None of the two- or three-way interactions received empirical support. However, significant multivariate main effects for each of the three independent measures were found. The negative influence of rotating work shift compared to fixed work shift was supported. Nurses who thought that their job was more enriching were more satisfied and perceived their workload as being lower. Department type affected only burnout level; nurses in non-ICUs were lower in burnout. Several theoretical and practical possible interpretations and possible implications are presented.