Stress and other personality traits in ICU staff

Introduction

This pilot study aims to find stress (S) and other personality traits (physical symptoms [PS], anger [A]) among the ICU staff, and any existing correlation between them and length of working time (LWT) in the ICU and with educational level (EDL).

Materials and methods

The staff (university degree doctors [UDD], university degree nurses [UDN], technician nurses [TN] and lower degree staff) of the General ICU (GICU), n = 32, and the respective of the Medical ICU (MICU), n = 15, answered the SCL-90-R questionnaire (a short type of the Minnesota Personality Inventory) in association with LWT in the ICU, with EDL and demographic data. We evaluated mean values of scoring points for stress (S), physical symptoms (PS) and anger (A), between the two ICU's staff and LWT and EDL.

Results

MICU pathologic scoring: 2/15, 13.3%. PSa: 11.6 points, PSb: 26 points, Sa: 8.2 points, Sb: 9 points, Aa: 5.25 points, Ab: 9 points. EDL MICU: 2/2 LDS. LWT mean in years: 9. GICU pathologic scoring: 3/32, 9%. PSa: 10.5, PSb: 14.25, PSc: 10.5, Sa: 6.5, Sb: 7.5, Sc: 7.5, Aa: 4.6, Ab: 3.5, Ac: 3. EDL GICU: UDD 1/3, UDN 1/3, TN 1/3. LWT GICU mean: 11 years.

Conclusion

Between individuals of the two ICUs, it seems that MICU staff with a lower degree of education experienced more stress, anger and physical symptoms than GICU staff.