Previous research has shown that teachers are at risk of experiencing significant work-related stress. Recovery is seen as a way to unwind from work stress caused by a myriad of stressors. This study examines the mechanisms of teacher recovery and their relationship to physical stress symptoms. Fifty high school teachers were recruited to participate from schools in South Florida. Physical stress symptoms were measured using a self-report survey called the Physical Symptoms Inventory (PSI) , which took place directly after the open-ended question portion of the survey. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to assess any connection between the appearance of barrier and facilitator related words in the open-ended questions to the rating of physical symptoms. The analysis showed that facilitators did not significantly predict PSI scores (β = -.17, ns). However, barriers did significantly predict PSI scores (β = .49, p < .001). Grounded theory was used alongside theoretical sampling to develop themes related to the barriers and facilitators of recovery from participant open-ended question answers. Data was analyzed and coded using constant comparison tactics. After data analysis, data showed that the most prevalent barriers described by teachers were workload, off-job workload, the constant need to plan, and constant rumination. These results can help pave the way for future research in this area, as well as the development of comprehensive intervention programs used to assist in promoting recovery in teachers.

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Employee turnover is a major issue that health care organizations experience. One factor that contributes significantly to turnover is burnout. A significant amount of research on burnout has been conducted in health care settings, however it has primarily focused on health care professionals. Several job characteristics that associated with burnout may be particularly impactful for non-professionals. An area of health care that provides unique challenges and stressors is that of traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. Brain injury professionals report experience burnout and report experiencing higher levels of burnout the more time they spend with patients. There is a lack of research on the unique experiences of support staff in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation centers. This study explored the phenomena of burnout, turnover, and job satisfaction from the perspective of support staff in a post-hospital brain injury rehabilitation center. I conducted group interviews and administered surveys to explore the unique experiences of support staff. I used grounded theory method to analyze data. The analysis resulted in a balance model of support staff’s work experience. This model is a framework of risk and protective factors that appeared to influence whether these frontline rehabilitation staff experienced negative outcomes from this often challenging/stressful work environment. The model includes four axial categories: Doing the Work; Protective Factors; Risk Factors; and Imbalance of Factors. Within the four axial categories are twenty open-coding level categories. Implications for brain injury rehabilitation organizations and areas for future research are discussed.

Bakgrund: Bidragande orsaker till arbetsrelaterad stress för sjuksköterskor är tiden, stödet och den befintliga arbetsmiljön. Upplevelsen av stress är individuellt betingat då livssituation och genetiska faktorer är avgörande. Arbetsuppgifternas mängd relaterat till arbetstiden anses problematiskt för sjuksköterskor. Stressen kan leda till att sjuksköterskor ställs i konflikt med sitt professionsansvar, då stressen medför att patientsäkerheten riskeras. Detta är ett viktigt ämne att studera eftersom arbetsrelaterad stress utmanar både patientsäkerheten och sjuksköterskors hälsa. Syfte: Syftet är att belysa sjuksköterskors upplevelser av arbetsrelaterad stress. Metod: Studien bygger på en systematisk litteraturstudie, där nio kvalitativa vetenskapliga artiklar valts ut. Resultatet har sammanställts genom kvalitetsgranskning och analys av artiklarnas resultat. Artiklarna har inhämtats från databaserna CINAHL och PsycINFO. Resultat: Tidsbrist samt avsaknad av stöd och resurser beskrivs främst ligga till grund för arbetsrelaterad stress. Den övergripande kategorin i resultatet benämns - ”Känsla av att ej kunna räcka till”. Sjuksköterskors upplevelser beskrivs utifrån tre underkategorier som benämns enligt följande; ”Otillräckliga resurser med bristfälligt stöd i arbetsgivarens ledarskap”, ”Det kollegiala samspelets påverkan på den upplevda stressnivån” och ”En stressfylld professions inverkan på individnivå”. Konklusion: Arbetsrelaterad stress kan få allvarliga konsekvenser på omvårdnadsarbetet samt på sjuksköterskan som individ. Att uppmärksamma problematiseringen kring detta område är viktigt i syfte att kunna skapa hanteringsstrategier och förändringar i verksamheten, med avsikt att gynna yrkesprofessionen samt kvaliteten på vården. Nyckelord: Arbetsrelaterad stress, sjuksköterskor, upplevelser / Background: Lack of time and support in the work environment are factors that causes occupational stress. The experience of stress is individual and correlates to the individual’s life situation and genetic prerequisites. Occupational stress can lead to a situation where nurses experience that patient safety is at risk. This is an important subject to study because of the reasons stated above. Aim: The aim of this study is to shed light on nurse’s experience of occupational stress. Method: This study is based on a systematical literature study, containing nine qualitative scientific articles, which were analyzed and quality checked. The data is collected from two databases – CINAHL and PsycINFO. Result: Lack of time, support and recourses in the workplace is described as the main reasons when it comes to the experience of occupational stress. The main category in the result is called “The feeling of insufficiency”. Nurses experiences is described thru three subcategories; “Insufficient resources and lack in employer’s leadership”, “The Collegial interplays impact on the experienced stress-level” and “A stress-filled professions impact on a personal level” Conclusion: Occupational stress can have negative consequences in nurse’s ability to give proper care and it effects nurses on a personal level. To shed light on this problem is important to create coping-strategies and change clinical nursing in a way that enhance the profession and the quality of care. Key words: Occupational stress, nurses, experiences

Working in health care professions involves many emotional and interpersonal job stressors. Difficulties in handing such stressors commonly lead to a distinctive combination of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and reduced personal accomplishment (RPA), a syndrome known as burnout. Although most helping professionals contend with similar demands, mental health workers are faced with many unique pressures. The problem addressed by the proposed research was burnout of mental health providers. More specifically, the current study sought to identify organizational and individual factors that may lead to less--or more--burnout in providers who report having a majority of clients with long-term mental illness and/or substance use disorders (LTMI). Several hypotheses were tested. It was proposed that each of the organizational and personality characteristics would be significantly associated with all three dimensions of burnout and that the majority of the assessed variables would significantly contribute to the prediction of burnout. Exploratory moderation analyses were also conducted. Participants were recruited from regional community mental health centers, social service agencies, and chemical dependency programs. Participants included direct care staff who reported that the majority of work performed was face-to-face with clients diagnosed with LTMI. Demographic information was assessed in addition to three self-report measures. Results of this investigation demonstrated that, contrary to a priori hypotheses, levels of burnout in social services workers serving mostly LTMI clients were generally low. Most of the occupational and personality variables did not account for as much variance of each burnout dimension as expected. However, the full sets of chosen demographic, organizational, and personality variables significantly predicted each dimension of burnout. Psychological demands were most predictive of EE, job insecurity and agreeableness accounted for a significant portion of variance of DP, and none of the organizational or personality variables uniquely contributed to the prediction of RPA. The lack of significance of the proposed predictors may be attributed to several factors, especially the uniqueness of the current sample, nonrandom selection, and potential socially desirable responding. Additional empirical research including a burnout intervention for larger samples of social services workers who work with LTMI is indicated. Practical implications are discussed.

Bakgrund: Sjuksköterskeyrket innebär en hög arbetsbelastning och kan därmed leda till upplevelse av arbetsrelaterad stress. Nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor är särskilt mottagliga för denna typ av stress då de saknar erfarenhet i sin yrkesroll. Att utarbeta strategier för hantering av stress är därför betydelsefullt för sjuksköterskans välbefinnande. Syfte: Syftet med föreliggande studie var att beskriva hur nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskor upplever och hanterar arbetsrelaterad stress under det första året i yrket. Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ ansats med deskriptiv design. I studien deltog åtta stycken sjuksköterskor som tagit examen januari alternativt juni 2014, anställda på fyra olika somatiska avdelningar belägna i Mellansverige. Data samlades in med semistrukturerade intervjuer och analyserades med manifest kvalitativinnehållsanalys. Huvudresultat: Resultatet visade att den arbetsrelaterade stressen orsakades av kombinationen mellan de nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskornas inre krav och känslor samt omgivningens yttre påverkan. Hur sjuksköterskorna hanterade den arbetsrelaterade stressen var individuellt och varierande beroende på situation. Att finna stöd hos och ta hjälp av kollegorna, att sänka de egna kraven samt att utveckla ett arbetssätt som passar den enskilda individen visade sig vara effektiva strategier för stresshanteringen. Slutsats: Slutsatsen var att de nyutexaminerade sjuksköterskorna upplevde flera typer av stress under det första året i yrket. Möjligheten att utvecklas, lära sig att vara snäll mot sig själv samt att kollegorna fanns tillgängliga för att ge hjälp och stöd var förutsättningar som krävdes för att stressen skulle kunna hanteras. / Background: The nursing profession involves a high workload and can thus lead to a perceived work related stress. Newly graduated nurses are particularly susceptible to this type of stress because of their lack of experience in their professional capacity. To develop strategies for managing stress is therefore important for the nurse’s wellbeing. Aim: The aim of the present study was to describe how recently graduated nurses experience and cope with work related stress during the first year in the profession. Method: The study had a qualitative approach with descriptive design. In this study eight nurses participated who graduated in January, alternatively, in June 2014, and were employed at four different somatic wards situated in central Sweden. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and were analyzed with manifest qualitative content analysis. Main Findings: The results showed that work related stress was caused by a combination of the recently graduated nurse’s internal demands, feelings and ambient external influences. How nurses handled work related stress was individual and varied depending on the situation. To find the support and enlist the help of colleagues, to reduce their own requirements and to develop an approach that suits the individual was found to be effective strategies for stress management. Conclusion: The conclusion was that the recently graduated nurses experienced several types of stress during the first year in the profession. The ability to evolve, learn to be kind to yourself and that the colleagues were available to provide assistance and support were prerequisites for managing the stress.

Organisations throughout the world have to cope with an increasing rate of change. These organisational changes are due to a number of reasons, which include social, technological, economic and political reasons. These result in a change in government regulations. In South Africa, the changes include the merging of higher education institutions and changes in the educational landscape. The public higher education institutions were reduced by the Department of Higher Education and Training from 36 to 23. Same changes include new universities of technologies and mergers of other universities plus more comprehensive universities. Recently, government established two new universities, one in Mpumalanga and another in the Northern Cape. Job insecurity, job satisfaction, occupational stress, sense of coherence, and general health are key aspects of the higher education institutions during and after the transformation process. This study aimed to determine the relationship between job insecurity, job satisfaction, occupational stress, sense of coherence, and general health of employees in a higher education institution. The literature reviewed showed that job insecurity occurs as a result of a merger, which is one of the multiple antecedents in a job insecurity model. However, a merger, as an organisational condition, changes individual perceptions about job insecurity and its consequences. Job satisfaction, occupational stress, and general health are consequences of job insecurity. From the reviewed literature, it is clear that the employees’ lack of resources is a very serious challenge in their endeavour to perform their duties. Lack of resources results in the poor performance of employees and their inability to use their capabilities to deal with every day work-related challenges. A cross-sectional design with employees in higher education institution (N=229) was used. The Job Insecurity Inventory, Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire, An Organisation Stress Screening Tool, Orientation to Life Questionnaire, and General Health Questionnaire, and a biographical questionnaire were utilised. Statistical analyses were carried out for the three articles in the study with the help of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM-SPSS) program. Statistical methods used in this article consisted of descriptive statistics (for example, means, standard deviations and frequencies), Cronbach alpha coefficients, explanatory factor analyses, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, multiple regression analysis and mediation analysis (Omnibus procedure). The results of article 1 showed that job insecurity was statistically significantly related to general health (somatic symptoms, social dysfunction, hopelessness and worthlessness). This implies that employees who experience high job insecurity also experience problems with their health. General health had a practically significant negative correlation with sense of coherence. Literature reviewed states that a weak sense of coherence leads employees to perceive situations as threatening (that is, high job demands and low job resources), and could lead to ill health. The research findings clearly indicate that sense of coherence does not moderate the relationship between job insecurity and general health. Regarding the results of article 2, a practically significant negative relationship exists between occupational stress and job satisfaction (intrinsic, supervision, extrinsic). This means that employees with high levels of occupational stress display lower job satisfaction and vice versa. Occupational stress and general health have a negative relationship, implying that different occupational stress factors (work demands, insecurity and work relations) relate to the general health of employees. Employees, who experience high work demands, are insecure and experience poor work relations with their colleagues or supervisors, have problems with their health and do not enjoy normal day-to-day activities in the organisation. Job satisfaction displays a practically significant negative correlation with general health. This implies that employees who are not satisfied with the intrinsic satisfaction of their job and working environment experience headaches and lack physical energy. Such employees generally feel sick. They do not enjoy every day activities since they doubt their own competence and the meaning of life. Both occupational stress and job satisfaction are statistically significant predictors of general health. In conclusion, the results of this article report that job satisfaction mediates the relationship between occupational stress and the general health of employees in a higher education institution. The results of article 3 showed that practically significant positive relationships exist between sense of coherence and job satisfaction. Employees with a higher sense of coherence are more satisfied and motivated to work. They are more comfortable with other colleagues and the general working conditions. Employees with a strong sense of coherence are more resourceful in handling different work-related aspects, and they tend to experience higher job satisfaction. It was concluded that sense of coherence moderates the relationship between job satisfaction and some aspects of general health. The results imply that people with lower levels of sense of coherence are more dependent on job satisfaction to experience good health. This has direct implications for vocational and industrial psychologists, as well as higher educational institutions. Recommendations for future research were made. / PhD (Industrial Psychology) North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

The environment in which hospital pharmacists currently function demands more of them than did any previous period. Employees in pharmacy companies have to cope with the demands that arise from fulfilling various roles, as well as with increased pressures such as managed health care and primary health care. Tracking and addressing their effectiveness in coping with new demands and stimulating their growth in areas that could possibly impact on the standard of pharmacy services are therefore of great importance. The first step in the enhancement of the work-related well-being of hospital pharmacists is the successful diagnosis of occupational stress, burnout and work engagement. However, in order to measure these constructs, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments, and at the same time take biographical differences into account. The objectives of this study were to validate the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Pharmacist Stress Inventory (PSI) for hospital pharmacists in South Africa, to assess the effect of biographical factors on the levels of burnout, engagement and occupational stress, and to investigate the role of job stress and coping strategies in the work-related well-being (burnout and work engagement) of hospital pharmacists in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population consisted of an accidental sample (N = 187) of South African hospital pharmacists in both public and private hospital facilities on a national basis. The MBI-HSS, UWES, PSI, the Coping Orientation for Problem Experienced (COPE) as well as a biographical questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data Confirmatory factor analysis by means of structural equation modelling of the MBI-HSS, confirmed a three-factor model of burnout, consisting of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation and Personal Accomplishment. The scales showed acceptable reliabilities. The results indicated that 35% of the hospital pharmacists showed high levels of emotional exhaustion, while 25% showed high levels of depersonalisation. Biographical factors such as age, years in pharmacy practice, home language, average number of hours worked per week, as well as the level of job satisfaction were related to the burnout levels of hospital pharmacists. Exploratory factor analysis of the UWES resulted in two factors, namely Vigour/dedication and Absorption. These factors showed acceptable Cronbach alpha coefficients. In the same sample (but in a different analysis where the two factors were used separately), it was indicated that compared to a South African norm, 38,5% and 48,9% of the hospital pharmacists showed low levels of vigour and dedication respectively. Position, home language, and the educational level were related to work engagement of hospital pharmacists. The PSI was developed as a measuring instrument for the purposes of this study. Three internally consistent factors, namely Job Demands, Pharmacy-Specific Stressors and Lack of Resources were extracted. The level of severity of the various stressors was calculated and the unavailability of medicine proved to be the most severe stressor. Other severe stressors included frequent interruptions, co-workers not doing their jobs, workload and insufficient salaries. Finally it was investigated whether job stress and coping strategies could predict the work related well-being of hospital pharmacists in South Africa. The results showed that job stress (as a result of job demands and lack of job resources), as well as three coping strategies (approach coping, avoidance coping and turning to religion) predicted burnout and work engagement of South African hospital pharmacists. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Change and transformation in higher education institutions worldwide are advancing at a rate that institutions and individual employees find hard to comprehend. During the past two decades, complex changes challenging institutions' mandates, traditional practices, authority and organisational structures have surfaced. It is widely acknowledged that stable and productive higher education institutions are vitally important to any country in order to ensure sustainable economic, social and political reconstruction and development. In the South African context, higher education institutions have an additional duty to contribute to the consolidation of democracy and social justice as well as the growth and development of the economy and redress the imbalances institutionalised by apartheid. The responsibility to execute the institutional strategies and plans to adapt to changes and to transform rests primarily with the staff of these institutions. However, the above-mentioned changes present major challenges for staff as it results in a multiplicity of roles, expectations to make paradigm shifts, implementation of new policies and practices as well as constant innovation. These challenges may be considered a healthy diversification leading to eustress and engagement, or a toll. which may well be an important cause of distress and burnout. Consequently. staffs' experience of distress/burnout and eustress/engagement, i.e. their work-related well-being, is crucially important to the success of the institution. The general objective of this research was to assess the work wellness of staff at a university of technology, and to understand the relationships between factors contributing to the experience of distress/burnout and eustress/engagement and how these relate to employees' levels of commitment and ill health. Furthermore, the study aimed to develop and test a comprehensive structural model of work related well-being to determine the effect of job demands and (lack of) job resources on distress. eustress. ill health and commitment of employees at a university of technology in South Africa. The findings are presented in three research articles, each consisting of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study included 353 participants (132 academic staff members and 221 support staff members). The questionnaire used in the empirical study comprised the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), the Cognitive Weariness Scale (CWS). the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). An Organizational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET), the Life Orientation Test- Revised (LOT-R), the Job Demands-Resources Scale (JDRS) and a biographical questionnaire. Structural equation modelling confirmed a four-factor structure of burnout, and a two-factor structure of work engagement. Principal component analysis indicated that work-related wellbeing consists of a dual bipolar structure namely Eustress/Engagement (vigour, dedication, professional efficacy) and Distress/Burnout (exhaustion. cynicism, cognitive weariness). It was found that language \vas the only reliable background variable to predict differences in levels of distress/burnout and eustress/engagement between subgroups. Different organisational stressors were found to contribute significantly to psychological and physical ill health and low organisational commitment. The comprehensive structural model that was tested showed that job demands lead to distress, which in turn leads to ill health. Furthermore. job resources contributed to work wellness and organisational commitment whilst dispositional optimism has a limited effect on staffs distress. Recommendations for the institution and future research are made. / Thesis (Ph.D. Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.