Cent Eur J Public Health 2017, 25(1):35-40 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4305

Sense of Coherence vs. Mental Load in Nurses Working at a Chemotherapy Ward

Grażyna Dębska1, Małgorzata Pasek1, Ewa Wilczek-Rużyczka2
1 Faculty of Health and Medical Science, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland
2 Faculty of Psychology and Humanities, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University, Krakow, Poland

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the sense of coherence and the level of mental load among nurses working at a chemotherapy ward.

Methods: The study, conducted in 2013, included 164 nurses working at inpatient chemotherapy wards in Krakow, Poznan, Kielce, and Gliwice (Poland). The mean age of the study participants was 43.07 ± 7.99 years. The study was based on a diagnostic survey with Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29) and Meister questionnaire.

Results: The levels of Mental Load, Monotony and Unspecific Load, correlated inversely with the levels of Coherence, Manageability, Meaningfulness, and Comprehensibility. Longer work experience was associated with lower levels of Coherence, Manageability and Comprehensibility and higher levels of Mental Load, Overload and Monotony. Age of nurses correlated inversely with the Manageability level. Heavy mental and physical workload turned out to be the main factor causing dissatisfaction of the study participants.

Conclusions: Longer work experience and lower levels of Coherence are associated with higher risk for mental overload.

Keywords: sense of coherence, mental load, burnout, nurse, chemotherapy

Received: February 12, 2015; Revised: November 19, 2016; Accepted: November 19, 2016; Published: March 1, 2017  Show citation

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Dębska G, Pasek M, Wilczek-Rużyczka E. Sense of Coherence vs. Mental Load in Nurses Working at a Chemotherapy Ward. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2017;25(1):35-40. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a4305. PubMed PMID: 28399353.
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