| Abstract: |
Work stress in nursing is a globally documented occupational health challenge that carries far-reaching consequences for individual wellbeing, patient safety, and healthcare system sustainability. The present empirical study investigates the impact of occupational work stress on nurses with specific reference to its manifestation as mood swings a dimension of affective instability that has received comparatively limited scholarly attention in the Indian nursing context. A structured questionnaire was administered to 150 nurses selected through stratified random sampling from government and private hospitals in Chhattisgarh, India. The instrument measured five dimensions of work stress workload and time pressure, role ambiguity and conflict, emotional demands, physical work environment, and interpersonal relationships alongside a validated mood swing severity scale. Data were analysed through descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis, and one-way ANOVA. The findings reveal that 62.67% of respondents experienced high levels of occupational stress, while 58.67% reported severe mood swings. A strong and statistically significant positive correlation was established between overall work stress and mood swing severity (r = 0.791, p < 0.001). ANOVA results indicated significant differences in stress and mood swing levels by shift pattern, years of experience, and hospital type. The study concludes that work stress and mood dysregulation are systemic rather than individual phenomena in the nursing profession, demanding structural organizational reform and targeted mental health intervention. The findings contribute to the growing body of evidence linking emotional labour, workload overload, and affective instability in healthcare workers. |
