Investigating the employee perspective: predictors of job stress and satisfaction among nurses and healthcare assistants during COVID-19

Occupational stress occurs when an employee becomes unable to manage work demands due to insufficient training, lack of resources or inadequate staffing. Healthcare workers in particular are at risk of suffering from work related stress. Certain job characteristics may contribute to work-related stress, while factors such as job satisfaction may serve as protective factors. Environmental factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic may also have a negative impact on perceived levels of anxiety among healthcare staff. This study aims to investigate the predictors of job stress and job satisfaction among healthcare professionals in Ireland and examine the prevalence of COVID-19 related anxiety. A quantitative study with a cross-sectional design was preformed by means of an on online survey. Results showed that factors such as inadequate staffing levels, increased workload, low pay rates and difficult relationships with colleagues and managers were significantly associated with higher job stress scores. COVID-19 resulted in particularly challenging conditions for frontline workers and over a third of healthcare workers surveyed were affected by COVID-19 related anxiety. Nevertheless, despite the challenging working conditions, the majority of participants reported high levels of job satisfaction