Comparison of stress, job satisfaction, perception of control, and health among district nurses in Stockholm and prewar Zagreb.

The increasing number of studies of stress among nurses in the last two decades have mainly dealt with nurses in hospitals. A few studies have included community-based nurses. However, no comparative studies of district nurses in different countries have been published. We have conducted a study to identify sources of stress, job satisfaction, perceived demands, control and health among district nurses (DNs) in Zagreb (Croatia) and Stockholm (Sweden), working in a polyvalent health care organization. Data were obtained regarding altogether 305 district nurses by means of self-administered questionnaires using identical methods and items, with response rates between 88% and 95%. In general, district nurses reported high levels of job-related stress, satisfaction and control. Organizational sources of stress, such as ongoing changes in the primary care organization, and reorganization of tasks, were of importance for the district nurses in Stockholm. They reported also more job satisfaction and commitment than the district nurses in Zagreb. The district nurses in Zagreb had significantly higher level of "lack of resources". They displayed significantly higher scores of psychological demands but also a greater feeling of control than the district nurses in Stockholm. Significant differences were also found between the groups in ranking of self-reported stressors. Thus results show that differences in work organization and in essential resources have a substantial impact of perceived stress, job satisfaction, and on the generality both of single association and on the applications of models.