The relationship between nursing home employees' work-related stress, job satisfaction, and ageism attitudes

The worldwide elderly population and accompanying problems are increasing day by day. In particular, age-associated losses in physical ability and the resultant inability to perform daily living activities cause elderly people to require either in-home or institutional care. Nursing homes are institutional service areas where elderly people can receive care services 24 hours a day. The care of elderly individuals causes various difficulties in both the emotional and the physical sense. To maintain good-quality elderly care, it is necessary to examine the working conditions of the employees providing the care services and to make any necessary improvements in this regard. Caregivers report that they experience stress, depression, fatigue, discomfort, and job dissatisfaction at most when doing their jobs. Therefore, supporting personnel working in nursing homes psychologically and socially, as well as taking preventive and analytical institutional measures against the intensive stress they experience, will positively affect their attitudes towards the elderly people in their care. The quality of care services for elderly individuals in nursing homes cannot be considered separately from the employees' job satisfaction and positive ageism attitudes. Therefore, more information is needed regarding nursing home employees' work-related stress, job satisfaction, and ageism attitudes. There is a need to make appropriate plans for success to ensure a high quality of care and to meet expectations in elderly care services. In light of the obtained research data and results, this study is expected to put nursing home employees' problems on the agenda and initiate discussions regarding appropriate solutions for these problems, as well as raising awareness about the subject. Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was designed to examine the relationship between nursing home employees' work-related stress, job satisfaction, and ageism attitudes. The study was carried out in five nursing homes located in the city center of Antalya, Turkey. The research data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Ageism Attitude Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire. Results: The mean age and working experience of the participants were 39.94 ± 11.23 (19–66) and 4.55 ± 4.25 (1–18) years, respectively. Among them, 61.7% (n= 66) were female, 67.3% (n = 72) were married, 73.8% (n= 79) had children, 31.8% (n= 34) were university graduates, and 29.9% (n= 32) were primary school graduates. Of the participants, 41.1% (n = 44) were caregivers, 16.8% (n = 18) were cleaning staff, 15.9% (n = 17) were nurses, and 12.1% (n=13) were other personnel (including driver, security officer, nutritionist, cook, occupational therapist, and secretary). The mean ageism attitude score was determined as 69.56 ± 11.72. The mean general satisfaction score was found to be 3.89 ± 0.83, whereas the mean internal and external satisfaction subscale scores were found to be 4.03 ± 0.82 and 3.68 ± 0.9, respectively. The mean work-related stress score was determined as 2.05 ± 0.67. Conclusion= The participant nursing home employees' mean job satisfaction score was above the cut-off point of 3, indicating that they had high job satisfaction. They had a "D" group stress level, which creates a stimulant effect and increases success. They also had a positive attitude towards elderly individuals in general, without limiting these elderly people's lives. A significant negative relationship was found between work-related stress and general job satisfaction, whereas a significant positive relationship was found between ageism attitude and general job satisfaction. However, no significant relationship was identified between ageism attitude and work-related stress. Keywords: Job satisfaction; work-related stress; ageism attitude; nursing home; nursing home employees