Factors influencing workplace stress among nurses in Malaysia during Covid-19 pandemic

Workplace stress is a major occupational problem among nurses, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Workplace stress can be defined as the change in one's physical or mental state in response to workplaces that pose an appraised challenge or threat. Previous studies have shown that there are a number of factors that contribute to workplace stress. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors of work overload, employee engagement, long working hours and employee recognition towards workplace stress among hospital nurses in Malaysia during Covid-19 pandemic. The data has been gathered through survey questionnaires distributed via google link. 188 completed questionnaires were collected from the respondents in 14 states across Malaysia. A snowballing technique was applied in approaching those respondents. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 28 was used as the software to analyse the data and test the hypotheses. Results showed that work overload and long working hours have a significant and positive effect on workplace stress whereas employee engagement and employee recognition have a significant and negative effect on workplace stress. So, this study puts light on crucial factors influencing workplace stress in hospital organization. Work overload and long working hours have been main factors of workplace stress for nurses. Therefore, a few suggestions were made for future research and some considerations for the job design and evaluation for future interventions.