Work-Related Stress among Healthcare Providers at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU): A Multicentric Collaborative Study from Karnataka, India.

BACKGROUND

Work-related stress in healthcare professionals can negatively affect the quality of healthcare delivered, particularly in high-stress environments like the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU).

OBJECTIVES

We examined the prevalence of work stress and common stressors among healthcare providers in the NICU.

METHOD

Consenting NICU healthcare providers across eight NICUs in Karnataka State participated in the study. Stress and psychological distress were examined using the Tool to Assess and Classify Work-Related Stress (TAWS-16) and the Kessler Psychological Distress (K10).

RESULTS

Among 171 participants, the prevalence of work stress was 32.7%, with 19.3% reporting stress symptoms and 38.6% experiencing psychological distress. Key stressors included meeting deadlines (80.7%), performing multiple roles (69.6%), long hours of work (60.3%), and unsatisfactory remuneration (61.4%). NICU mortality (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.025-1.26, = 0.019) and being a trainee (OR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.08-5.02, = 0.03) posed a higher risk for occupational stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly one-third of healthcare professionals in NICU reported stress and psychological distress at the workplace. Study findings highlight the need to lower NICU mortality and enhance organizational support for trainee staff.