Case Report DOI: 10.18231/2394-2770.2018.

0076

Stress management – Study among the night shift workers working in hospital
Yashodhan Prakash Mahajan

HOD, Dept. of Accountancy, Brihan Maharashtra College of Commerce, Pune, Maharashtra, India

*Corresponding Author: Yashodhan Prakash Mahajan

Email: [email protected]

Abstract
“If you have management telling you, as HR, to go out there and create some dedication and commitment, then you are going to also be
considered as the scapegoat if it doesn’t happen as they expect. You become an easy ‘fall guy’ for management to go to their boards and
blame for the high turnover or poor morale.” Inviting the most suited employees and match his skills and interest to the job available in the
company is a crucial step for the development and growth of any business.
Therefore human resource department have a close contact with senior executive to have a strategic planning. Deliberate determination is
required to boost morale and productivity of an employee so that it can reduce the job turnover.
It can be only achieved if HR department successfully identify employees skills, arrange for training openings to enhance those skills and
enhance employees satisfaction with their work allotment and working environments. Eventually HR Department takes an initiative to
tackle the issue of Stress Management in their business organization.

Keywords: Stress, Stress management, Night shift workers, Human resource.

Introduction socio-biological medicine; a lot of knowledge was

Stress is a term heard so often that it’s meaning is accumulated about the relation between stress and the
frequently distorted and its implications are taken for development of somatic disorders like cardiovascular
granted. In today’s world, everybody seems to be talking diseases. Selye (1956) believed that if sympathetic nervous
about stress not only in daily conversation, but also through systems and endocrine system are activated in a certain way,
television, radio and newspapers. Stress is a universal for example, by extreme coldness or great excitement an
feature of life and no one can live without experiencing individual can be said to be under stress. Extreme
some degree of stress. One may assume that only serious or stimulations of a divergent nature being about a certain
intensive physical or mental injury can cause stress. This is typical endocrine reaction pattern. Specific stimulations are
not true: in fact: travelling in a crowded bus/train or even not connected with specific reactions: stress can be induced
sheer joy is enough to activate the body’s stress mechanism by many different means. Actually, Selye was not
to some extent, Right from the beginning of civilization, particularly interested in the causes (stimuli); more
human organism is subjected to stressful events: and it is important to him was the universal reaction pattern (General
self-evident that birth itself is stressful like other biological Adaptation Syndrome or GAS) occurring in characteristics
milestones such as crawling and walking. Infants also phases.
experience stresses although independent of their own
action in which aversive or defensive coping behaviour Objectives of the Study
(such as crying) are likely result. For the pre-school child, The present study has been undertaken with a view to
environment plays an important role in experiencing find out various causes of stress management in night shift
stressful events. Stressful experience may exert different worker, the main objectives of the study are:
effects at different events. Stressful experience may exert 1. To find out the effectiveness of stress in night shift
different effects at different ages. Almost any unanticipated worker in private hospital
happening or an anticipated event, with full of threat, causes 2. To find out which factors has strong effect on stress and
the speeding-up of bodily processes. Any kind of excitement which factor affect least
is also a stress, in the physiologist’s sense of interpretation. 3. To know how stress affect the working of the hospital
The term ‘stress’ means different things to different people: 4. To find the remedial measures to prevent stress
and the layman and professional alike are familiar with it.
The term stress has been derived from technical Research Methodology
sciences where it indicates an excessive and detrimental Research is a process of systematic and in-depth study
overloading of objects. Metals like steel have a certain strain of search for any particular topic, Subject to collection,
capacity, but on exceeding certain values, a rupture or compilation, presentation and interpretation of relevant
fracture occurs. The term was used in this sense in the details or data. Research refers to a search of knowledge. It
nineteenth century: in the beginning of the twentieth is a scientific and systematic search for pertinent
century, the concept appeared in medical sciences to information on a specific topic.
indicate overloading of the human body. Cannon (1935) While determining the scope of study, the researcher
related it to homeostatic tendencies in the body. He was looking for a comprehensive dimension. Therefore
contributed much to the development of psychosomatic and selected private hospitals in Pune city was selected for

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Yashodhan Prakash Mahajan Stress management – Study among the night shift workers working in hospital

study. There are 108 private hospitals (Population) are failing. Sometime we know in advance that doing a certain
operating in Pune city, out of that 10% of population i.e. thing will be stressful, but we are willing to doing that. For
(10% 108 hospitals) is 11 hospitals were selected for the example, while planning a vacation to a hill station you
study. Minimum two to three employees from each hospital know that it would be stressful at certain times. But you are
are selected. They were interviewed and survey willing to face those challenges. Although stress reaction
questionnaires get filled from them. depends on what an individual considers dangerous or
The research strategy adopted for this piece of research threatening, people very greatly in general vulnerability to
was based on surveys and cross sectional studies. Surveys stress. If a person is marginally adjusted, the slightest
were conducted to gather and analyze statistical data in frustration or pressure may be highly stressful. Lack of
order to know the preferences of the candidate and the external supports – either personal or material – makes a
expectation of the recruiters. Primary data is collected with given stress more sever and wakens an individual’s capacity
the help of questionnaires and secondary data is collated to cope with it.3
with published literature and E – sources. In a study of managerial stress experiences, Shukla
(1990) has concluded that, it may be more accurate to look
Limitations of the Research at stress as a pattern of inter-related experiences rather than
The study is undertaken to find out the causes of the as one single experience. The stress due to lack of freedom
stress. The topic has a wide scope to study therefore the to work is as real as the experience of stress due to an inter-
study is restricted with the following. personal encounter. He has also conceded that pattern of
1. For this study, only night shift worker is taken into stressful experiences appears to be unique to an individual
consideration. or a group of individuals and it may be determined by the
2. Sample is restricted with only 30 employees. life-situations of the individual(s), as well as their
3. The response of all the respondents may not be free personality.4
from biases.
Magnitude of Stress: The problem of stress is a universal
Literature Review fact. But its magnitude alone differs from country to
The word stress is derived from the Latin word country. Similarly it differs from industry to industry,
‘stringi’, which means, ‘to be draw tight’. Stress is your occupation to occupation and also according to the make-up
body's way of responding to any kind of demand. It can be of the work force. The problem of stress affects not only the
caused by both good and bad experiences. When people feel industry but also the employees and their families. The
stressed by something going on around them, their bodies stress take very often affects the working of worker &
react by releasing chemicals into the blood. These chemicals service provided by the hospital.
give people more energy and strength, which can be a good Stress is one of the most important wide spread obstacle
thing if their stress is caused by physical danger. But this to working. The stress may be due to personal problems,
can also be a bad thing, if their stress is in response to sickness, sickness of family members, or any other reason.
something emotional and there is no outlet for this extra The stress may be due to the following reasons.
energy and strength. This class will discuss different causes 1. Office subordinates.
of stress, how stress affects you, the difference between 2. Your relationship with your colleagues.
'good' or 'positive' stress and 'bad' or 'negative' stress, and 3. Excessive work pressure.
some common facts about how stress affects people today. 1 4. To meet out deadlines.
Every human being has his own understanding of 5. Death of spouse, family member.
stress, because all demands of adaptability do evoke the 6. Children educational performance.
stress phenomenon. Selye (1974) beautifully summarized 7. Lack of sleep.
the nature of stress in the following words: 8. Working overtime and holidays.
“Everybody knows what stress is and yet nobody knows 9. To give new result.
what it is” 10. Not sufficient money to raise your standard of living.
1. “Stress is any condition that disturbs normal
functioning.” (Arnold, 1960) Effect of Stress: Hospital work often requires coping with
2. “Stress is a non-specific response of the body to any some of the most stressful situations found in any
demand.” (Selye, 1974) workplace. Hospital workers must deal with life-threatening
Stress is a feeling experienced when a person thinks injuries and illnesses complicated by overwork,
that "the demands exceed the personal and social resources understaffing, tight schedules, paperwork, intricate or
the individual is able to mobilize." 2 Stress is not always malfunctioning equipment, complex hierarchies of authority
necessarily harmful. Hans Selye said in 1956, "stress is not and skills, dependent and demanding patients, and patient
necessarily something bad, it all depends on how you take deaths; all of these contribute to stress.5
it. The stress of exhilarating, creative successful work is Health Effects: Stress has been associated with loss of
beneficial, while that of failure, humiliation or infection is appetite, ulcers, mental disorder, migraines, difficulty in
detrimental." Stress can be therefore negative, positive or sleeping, emotional instability, disruption of social and
neutral. Passing in an examination can be just stressful as family life, and the increased use of cigarettes, alcohol, and
Journal of Management Research and Analysis, October-December, 2018;5(4):468-472 469
Yashodhan Prakash Mahajan Stress management – Study among the night shift workers working in hospital

drugs. Stress can also affect worker attitudes and behavior. cope with the stress of raising a family and handling
Some frequently reported consequences of stress among maritaldifficulties. It can also become difficult for them to
hospital workers are difficulties in communicating with very develop relationships outside of work. They also miss out
ill patients, maintaining pleasant relations with coworkers, on other activities like taking their kids to school,
and judging the seriousness of a potential emergency. 6 volunteering and attending family gatherings.
Physical Effects: Prolonged stress, by upsetting our body
chemistry and other responses, can lead to or lower our Techniques to Control Stress
resistance to disease and illness. Rather alarmingly, it has Bookshops are usually full of books on ‘how to manage
been estimated that 50% to 70% of all physical illness is at stress.’ The most popular techniques are those which the
least partly caused by stress. people can use all the time and which act as a protection
Everyone knows today the growing role of stress in heart against the possibly damaging effects of a stressful life.
disease and hypertension leading to sudden death, Some of the techniques to manage the stress are as follows:
depression, anxiety, obesity, skin problems, cancer, 1. Relax in any situation.
alcoholism, infections and many immune disorders. 2. Taking break from the work.
Psychological Effect: Other signs include indecisiveness, 3. Do proper diet and exercise.
lack of concentration and loss of libido. Stress can strongly 4. Gaining control over your work.
affect personal life. In counter-productive attempts to cope 5. Negotiating home responsibilities.
with stress, many individuals start relying on tobacco, 6. Manage your time perfectly.
alcohol and drugs, which further aggravate the problem. 7. Listening to music.
Failing to cope with prolonged intense stress can lead to 8. Make better decisions during crises and conflict.
‘burnout’. Victims of burnout become exhausted (both 9. Adaptability to change.
emotionally and physically), grow cynical and develop 10. Expect to leave inspired, looking forward to facing
negative attitude towards their work, other persons and life stress challenges.
in general. 11. Bring stress energy under control.
Essentially a degree of stress is an integral part of life 12. Increase your personal effectiveness.
and is usually tolerable. It becomes a problem when it starts 13. Team productivity.
to make an individual grim or uncomfortable. One may not 14. Increase job effectiveness.
at first be conscious of the danger; and may not realise what 15. Turn negative feelings in positive feelings.
those persistent headaches and outbursts of temper are all 16. Self-confidence.
about. 17. Increase self-awareness.
Social Effects: The live of night shift workers can also be
severely affected by their work schedules. They experience Analysis & Interpretation of Data
more problems at home because of the limited time they Researcher used questionnaire method to collect the
spend with their children and spouses. Their lack of energy primary data. Some sample interview is also carried out.
and their health problems can also make it difficult for them

Table 1: Q. No 1 If, yes how many times you work in night shift in month?
S. No Respondents Opinion No of Employees Percentage
1 2 to 4days 0 0%
2 1 week 27 90%
3 2 week 3 10%
4 Entire month 0 0%
Total 30 100%

Out of total employees no one is work in 2 to 4 days in least 1 week from the month as night shift, 10% employees
night shift, almost 90% employees are supposed to work at are work in 2 week out of the month in night shift.

Table 2: Q. No 2. Is working in a shift affects your stress level?

S. No Respondents Opinion No of Employees Percentage
1 Yes 22 73%
2 No 08 27%
Total 30 100%

Out of the total sample 73% of employees agree upon the opinion that night shift does not effect on their stress
the fact that the night shift effect on stress level as compare level.
to morning and evening shift, while 27% of employees are
of

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Yashodhan Prakash Mahajan Stress management – Study among the night shift workers working in hospital

Table 3: Q. No 3. Do you feel that given break sufficient for you?

S. No Respondents Opinion No of Employees Percentage
1 Yes 9 30%
2 No 21 70%
Total 30 100%
employees are dissatisfied by the break time offered to
30% of employees are satisfied by the break time them.
offered to them and most of the employees i.e. 70% of

Table 4: Q. No. 4 Does your organization provides you any facility reduced your stress?
S. No Respondents Opinion No of Employees Percentage
1 Always 10 34%
2 Often 7 23%
3 Sometimes 7 23%
4 Never 6 20%
Total 30 100%

34% of employees are agreed that they have always received facilities to reduce their stress; 20% of employees’
received facilities to reduce their stress; 23% of employees greed that they have never received any facilities to cope up
agreed that they have often received facilities to reduce their with their stress.
stress; 23% of employees agreed that they have sometimes

Table 5: Q. No 5. Do you feel stress at work?

S. No Respondents Opinion No of Employees Percentage
1 Yes 23 77%
2 No 7 23%
Total 30 100%

About total 87% employees said that they are happy said that they are not satisfied with the salary which they are
with the salary getting by the employer. And 13% getting for their work.
employees

Table 6: Q. No 6. If yes, what is the reason of your stress?

S. No Respondents Opinion No of Employees Percentage
1 Family Problem 07 23%
2 Health Problem 05 17%
3 Job Stress 09 30%
4 Children Education 02 7%
5 Other than above 07 23%
Total 30 100%

There are various reasons causes stress to employees. Findings

Due to family problem 23% of employees are in stress, 17% 1. It can be concluded that because of the nature of work
of employees due to personal health problem, 30% of that is working in shift, always as emergency situation,
employees due to job stress, 2% of employees remain in few holidays etc., and people reluctant to work as it
stress for their children education like admissions, exams creates stress among them so people afraid of having
and due to other school activities. Remaining 23% of long term career in the hospital industry.
employees remarked as other reasons such as self- 2. All employees strongly agreed upon the things that they
improvement, family functions, and other personal side are supposed to work at least 1 week in a month as
business. It is evident from the above that stress caused by night shift
nature of job is highest among other possible causes of 3. Sometimes rotations in the shifts help the employees to
stress. manage their routine life.
4. Majority employees agree upon the fact that the night
shift effect on stress level as compare to morning and
evening shift

Journal of Management Research and Analysis, October-December, 2018;5(4):468-472 471

Yashodhan Prakash Mahajan Stress management – Study among the night shift workers working in hospital

5. Majority employees do not have specific break time so 4. Hasnain N., Shahnawaz, M.G.& Shukla, V.(2001). Role stress
they are dissatisfied with the working. and coping strategies in different occupational groups
5. https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/stress/stre
6. Majority of the employees don’t get stress relief ss.html
facilities or working conditions. 6. http://www.divvyengagement.com/blog/bid/64089/Stress-is-
7. There is uncertainty in the working schedule, which drowning-your-hospital-personnel-Here-s-how-to-get-air
hampers the routine life of an employee and causes rise 7. By Rahul Sharma, Sangeeta Jauhari, Vijay Singh. Stress
in stress levels. Techniques and Management: A Review Paper.
8. Night shift employees are not satisfied with the salary 8. An International Peer-Reviewed Journal Vol.13, 2015. ISSN
2422-8435.
which they are getting for their work. 9. Geeta Kumari, K. M. Pandey. In Studies on Stress
9. It is evident from the above that stress caused by nature Management: A Case Study of Avatar Steel Industries,
of job is highest among other possible causes of stress. Chennai, India. International Journal of Innovation
10. Mostly men worker are enjoying their social life. On Management and Technology. 2011;2(5).
the contrary female workers very often enjoy social life, 10. Stress At Work Stress Management By Aljona Shchuka A
most of the time the work under stress. Qualitative Study On The Causes Of Stress And Management
Mechanisms At Volvo Trucks Ab, Umeåby Najmoddin
11. Employees are of the opinion to have an improvement Nekzada And Selamawit Fisseha Tekeste.
in the working environment of the organization. 11. Neema Kumari Jadoun, Abdesh Singh Kushwah, Parmanand,
12. Working in night shifts changes the routine of the Barodiya, Umesh Holani. Need of Stress Management.
employees which causes health problems to them. 12. International Journal Of Science, Technology & Management.
13. Nirmala. R. A Study on Stress Management among the
Employees of Banks.
Conclusion 14. An Empirical Study on Stress Management for Higher
The stress issue is a common datum. Magnitude of it is Secondary Students In Salem District Tamil Nadu By Dr.A.
differs from country to country, industry to industry, Jayakumar
occupation to occupation and also according to the make-up 15. M. Kotteeswari, S. Tameem. A Study With Reference To
of the work force. The problem of stress not only affects the Employees Working In BPOs.
industry but also on health of the employees and social life 16. Bianca Cirjaliu, Anca Draghici, Alin Jitarel. A Proposal
Approach for Stress Management.
of their families. The stress take very often affects the
working of worker & service provided by the hospital. It is
How to cite this article: Mahajan Y. P. Stress
one of the utmost significant wide spread hurdle to working
management – Study among the night shift
environment. It hampers the working environment as well as
workers working in hospital. J Manag Res Anal.
the health of the employees. Primarily the causes of it must
2018;5(4):468-472.
be identified and dealt carefully so as to maintain holistic
and sustainable development of the society.

References
1. http://mtstcil.org/skills/stress-definition-1.html
2. Richard S Lazarus.
3. Selye, H. (1956). The Stress of Life, New York: McGraw Hill

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