JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Residents doctors in Jordanian hospitals are involved in many clinical and non-clinical tasks that might expose them to various stress factors. High stress and burnout have the potential to negatively impact upon work performance and patient care, including medication errors, suboptimal care, clinical errors and patient dissatisfaction.

Objective:

This study aimed to determine the perceived stress among resident doctors in Jordanian hospitals and its associated risk factors

Methods:

: A cross-sectional study was conducted among residents in Jordanian hospitals. A cluster sample of five hospitals with residency programs was selected from different health sectors. All residents who were working in the selected hospitals were invited to participate in this study during the period April- July 2017. A total of 555 residents (response rate was 84 %) agreed to participate in this study. The perceived stress scale (PSS) was used for assessment.

Results:

A total of 398 male and 157 female residents were included in this study. The mean PSS score in this study was 21.6. About 6.7% of the residents had hypertension, 2.7% had diabetes, 3.2% had heart-diseases, and 8.5% were anemic. The majority of respondents complained of back pain 42%, and 29% complained of insomnia. Stress was associated with higher workload, sleep deprivation, and dissatisfaction with the relationships with colleagues, income and the program. In multivariate analysis, the following were significantly associated with stress: female gender, dissatisfaction with working environment, and facing work-related stressors.

Conclusions:

The majority of resident doctors in Jordanian hospitals suffer from stress. Stress management programs during residency and improving working environment are strongly recommended.