Evaluation of factors that affect one's sense of burden, experienced by health care personnel : A comparison of nurses and nursing care personnel at geriatric care facilities

The effects of burden in care-giving, difficulty in facing geriatric care, and their own attitude toward health, all of which constitute psychological stress, on the professional ac-tivities of nurses and nursing care personnel were analyzed. Based on the results, the sense of burden experienced in performing each duty was classified according to the psychological patterns to investigate the causes for the development of occupational stress. The subjects of the study were nurses and nursing care personnel who are employed at geriatric care facilities throughout the country. Through the cooperation of individuals in these two professions, 554 responses were obtained. The survey included questions on age, years of experience, basic attributes (such as work schedules and the size of each facility), one's own attitude toward health, difficulty in dealing with geriatric patients, and the burden felt in performing each duty. The study proved that the stress is related to the interpersonal relations with geriatric patients rather than to the technical problems that are dictated by an accumulation of professional experiences. In both professions it was found that the difficulty in dealing with geriatric patients tended to exacerbate the stress experienced in performing nursing duties. Furthermore, the sense of stress felt directly in performing one's daily duties, part of occupational burden, had an indirect effect on work performance. On the other hand, the heightened sence of one's own health had a positive effect on interpersonal relationship with the aged. On the subject related to perception of undue weight of nursing care, the difference between the nursing and practical nursing professions was found under a work item entitled, "nursing planning and evaluation". Those in practical nursing felt a greater burden in planning or evaluating care for the facility users. To improve cooperation between these two professions, we hope to develop plans to alleviate the burdens where differences were found.