Perceived Pressure, Job Stress, and Self-Efficacy Among Full-Time Hospital Caregivers in Shandong, China: A Cross-Sectional Study with Qualitative Triangulation
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study examined perceived pressure, job stress, and self-efficacy among full-time hospital caregivers in a Class III Grade A tertiary hospital in Shandong Province, China. Using a cross-sectional descriptive design with qualitative triangulation, 130 caregivers (family and employed) completed validated measures of perceived pressure, job stress, and general self-efficacy; an eight-member focus group of supervising nurses provided contextual insights. Overall, caregivers reported average perceived pressure and job stress, but low self-efficacy. Correlational analyses indicated that higher perceived pressure and job stress were strongly associated with lower self-efficacy. One-way MANOVAs showed no significant differences in perceived pressure, job stress, or self-efficacy by age, gender, education level, or caregiver-patient relationship, suggesting broadly shared stress experiences across subgroups. Qualitative findings echoed these patterns, highlighting system-level pressures, such as unrealistic family expectations, limited training access, and suboptimal shift policies, as primary stressors, with supervising nurses noting that confidence improves when structured training is available. Grounded in Roy’s Adaptation Model and Bandura’s Self-Efficacy Theory, the results underscore self-efficacy as a modifiable buffer and point to the need for institutional interventions: competency-based skills training, Cognitive Behavior Therapy-informed stress-management supports, and scheduling reforms (e.g., limits on consecutive night shifts). The study contributes evidence to guide hospital administrators in designing targeted, scalable programs that strengthen caregiver well-being and, in turn, patient care quality; future research should expand sampling and assess longitudinal impacts of these interventions.
DOI: 10.14419/fhvg4c74
Authors: Xuemei Li, Jocelyn May Flor Cadena, Sheilla M. Trajera, Gregory S. Ching
Language: English
Topic: Stress and Burnout Research
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4416228299
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