Introduction:
Occupational stress is a major factor affecting nurses’ physical and psychological health and may negatively influence their quality of life. Nurses working in pediatric units are exposed to higher levels of stress due to complex clinical conditions, responsibility for vulnerable patients, and psychological pressures arising from interactions with patients’ families. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between occupational stress and quality of life among nurses working in pediatric units of Shahid Motahari Hospital in Urmia.
Methods:
This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in 2024 in Urmia, Iran. The study population included all nurses working in pediatric units of Shahid Motahari Hospital, who were recruited using a census sampling method. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics questionnaire, the Osipow Occupational Stress Inventory, and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 27 through descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation test. A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
The mean occupational stress score among nurses was 172.72 ± 24.74, and the mean quality of life score was 32.11 ± 8.07. Among the dimensions of occupational stress, responsibility and role overload had the highest mean scores. A significant negative correlation was found between occupational stress and quality of life (P<0.01, r=-0.27). Occupational stress was also negatively correlated with the physical health component (P=0.02, r=-0.27) and mental health component (P<0.01, r=-0.34) of quality of life. Occupational str