Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Social Support, Job Stress, Health, and Job Satisfaction Among Nurses in the United Kingdom

  • Published:
International Journal of Stress Management

Abstract

Recruitment and retention of nurses is a major concern in healthcare provision in several countries. This study explored the relationship between perceived social support, job stress, health, and job satisfaction among nurses from 4 organizations in northwest England. A total of 350 usable questionnaires measuring stressors, perceived support, health, and job satisfaction, was obtained from a sample of 1,162 nurses drawn from 4 healthcare organizations. A follow-up study was conducted after 6 months. Results indicate that perceived organizational support is related to nurses' health and job satisfaction. Current interventions to increase support, which typically operate at individual or group level, may be limited in their effectiveness unless nurses' perceptions of organizational support are taken into account.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Argyle, M. (1992). Benefits produced by supportive social relationships. In H. O. F. Veiel & U. Baumann (Eds.), The meaning and measurement of social support (Papers from an international symposium held in May 1990 in Bad Homburg, Germany) (pp. 13–32). New York: Hemisphere.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aronowitz, S., & DiFazio, W. (1996). High Technology and Work Tomorrow. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 544 (March 1996), 52–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Audit Commission. (1997). Finders, keepers: The management of staff turnover in NHS Trusts. London: Audit Commission.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baglioni, A. J. J. (1990). Job stress, mental health and job satisfaction among UK senior nurses. Stress Medicine, 6, 9–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baldwin, P. J. (1999). Nursing. In J. Firth-Cozens & R. L. Payne (Eds.), Stress in health professionals (2nd ed., pp. 93–104). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrera, M. (1986). Distinctions between social support concepts, measures and models. American Journal of Community Psychology, 14, 413–445.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beehr, T. A. (1995). Social support as a form of treatment. In T. A. Beehr (Ed.), Stress in the workplace (pp. 182–207). London & New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beehr, T. A., & O'Hara, K. (1987). Methodological designs for the evaluation of occupational stress interventions. In S. V. Kasl & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Stress and health: Issues in research methodology (pp. 79–112). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Booth, K. (1992). Providing support and reducing stress: a review of the literature. In T. Butterworth & J. Faugier (Eds.), Clinical supervision and mentorship in nursing (pp. 50–59). London: Chapman & Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Booth, K., Maguire, P. M., Butterworth, T., & Hillier, V. F. (1996). Perceived professional support and the use of blocking behaviours by hospice nurse. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 24, 522–527.

    Google Scholar 

  • Borrill, C. S., Wall, T. D., West, M. A., Hardy, G. E., Shapiro, D. A., Haynes, C. E., Stride, C. B., Woods, D., & Carter, A. J. (1998). Stress among staff in NHS Trusts. Sheffield and Leeds: Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield and Psychological Therapies Research Centre, University of Leeds.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boumans, N. P. G., & Landeweerd, J. A. (1992). The role of social support and coping behaviour in nursing work: main or buffering effect? Work and Stress, 6, 191–202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowling, A. (1997). Research methods in health: Investigating health and health services. Buckingham: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyle, A., Grap, M. J., Younger, J., & Thornby, D. (1991). Personality hardiness, ways of coping, social support and burnout in critical care nurses. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 16, 850–857.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bryman, A., & Cramer, D. (1997). Quantitative data analysis with SPSS for Windows: A guide for social scientists. London and New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butterworth, A. (1997). Clinical supervision: A hornet's nest or honey pot? Nursing Times, 93, 27–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Butterworth, T., Carson, J., Jeacock, J., White, B., & Clements, A. (1999). Stress, coping, burnout and job satisfaction in British nurses: Findings from the clinical supervision evaluation project. Stress Medicine, 15, 27–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buunk, B. P. (1990). Affiliation and helping interactions within organizations: a critical analysis of the role of social support with regard to occupational stress. In W. Stroebe & M. Hewstone (Eds.), European review of social psychology (vol. 1, pp. 293–322). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, F. (1987). Measurement of coping. In S. V. Kasl & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Stress and health: Issues in research methodology (pp. 283–305). Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: LEA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 310–357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cutrona, C. E. (1990). Stress and social support-in search of optimal matching. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 9, 3–14.

    Google Scholar 

  • de Vaus, D. A. (1990). Surveys in social research (2nd ed., vol. 11). London: Unwin Hyman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dean, K., Holst, E., Kreiner, S., Schoenborn, C., & Wilson, R. (1994). Measurement issues in research on social support and health. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 48, 201–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Decker, F. H. (1985). Socialization and interpersonal environment in nurses' affective reactions to work. Social Science and Medicine, 20, 499–509.

    Google Scholar 

  • DuBois, D. L., Felner, R. D., Brand, S., Adan, A. M., & Evans, E. G. (1992). A prospective study of life stress, social support, and adaptation in early adolescence. Child Development, 63, 542–557.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchinson, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived organisational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 500–507.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fagin, L., Brown, D., Bartlett, H., Leary, J., & Carson, J. (1995). The Claybury community psychiatric stress study: Is it more stressful to work in the hospital or the community? Journal of Advanced Nursing, 22, 347–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fielding, J., & Weaver, S. M. (1994). A comparison of hospital and community based mental health nurses: Perceptions of their work environment and mental health. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 19, 1196–1204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, J. D., Nadler, A., & Whitcher-Alagna, S. (1982). Recipient reactions to aid. Psychological Bulletin, 91, 27–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fiske, A. P. (1998). Human sociality. The International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships Bulletin, 14, 4–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher, B. C., Jones, F., & McGregor, J. (1991). The stressors and strains of health visiting: Demands, supports, constraints and psychological health. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 16, 1078–1098.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geurts, S., & Grundemann, S. (1999). Workplace stress and stress prevention in Europe. In M. Kompier & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Preventing stress, improving productivity: European case studies in the workplace (pp. 9–32). London and New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glidewell, J. C., Tucker, S., Todt, M., & Cox, S. (1982). Professional support systems: The teaching profession. In A. Nadler, J. D. Fisher, & B. M. DePaulo (Eds.), Applied research in helpseeking and reactions to aid (pp. 189–212). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, D. (1992). General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Windsor: NFER-NELSON.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldberg, D., & Williams, P. (1988). A user's guide to the general health questionnaire. Windsor: NFER-NELSON.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gottlieb, B. H. (Ed.). (1981). Social networks and social support (Sage Studies in Community Health) (vol. 4). London: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gump, B. B., & Kulik, J. A. (1997). Stress, affiliation, and emotional contagion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 305–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heaney, C., Price, R. H., & Rafferty, J. (1995). Increasing coping resources at work: A field experiment to increase social support, improve work team functioning, and enhances employee mental health. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16, 335–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • House, J. S. (1981). Work stress and social support. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, L. C., Beaton, R., Murphy, S., & Pike, K. (2000). Sampling bias and other methodological threats to the validity of health survey research. International Journal of Stress Management, 7, 247–276.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, B., Flynn, D. M., & Kelloway, E. K. (1995). Perception of support from the organization in relation to work stress, satisfaction, and commitment. In S. L. Sauter & L. R. Murphy (Eds.), Organizational risk factors for job stress (pp. 41–52). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kandola, R. (1995). Managing diversity: New broom or old hat? International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 10, 131–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanner, A. D., Coyne, J. C., Schaefer, C., & Lazarus, R. S. (1981). Comparison of two modes of stress measurement: Daily hassles and uplifts versus major life events. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4, 1–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karasek, R. (1985). Job Content Questionnaire and user's guide (revision 1.12). Lowell: University of Massachusetts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karasek, R., Brisson, C., Kawakami, N., Houtman, I., Bongers, P., & Amick, B. (1998). The Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ): An instrument for internationally comparative assessments of psychsocial job characteristics. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 3, 322–355.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karasek, R., & Theorell, T. (1990). Healthy work: Stress, productivity, and the reconstruction of working life. New York: Basic Books, a division of Harper-Collins Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kompier, M., & Cooper, C. L. (Eds.). (1999). Preventing stress, improving productivity: European case studies in the workplace. London and New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • LaRocco, J. M., House, J. S., & French, J. R. P. (1980). Social support, occupational stress and health. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 21, 202–218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1989). Manual for the Hassles and Uplifts Scale: Research edition (Research ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marcelissen, F. H. G., Winnubst, J. A. M., Buunk, B., & de Wolff, C. J. (1988). Social support and occupational stress: A causal analysis. Social Science and Medicine, 26, 365–373.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh, N. J. (1990). Leader support and responses to work in US nurses: A test of alternative hypothetical perspectives. Work and Stress, 4, 139–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton-Cooper, A., & Palmer, A. (2000). Mentoring, preceptorship and clinical supervison (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, L. R. (1999). Organisational interventions to reduce stress in health care professionals. In J. Firth-Cozens & R. L. Payne (Eds.), Stress in health professionals: Psychological and organisational causes and interventions (pp. 149–162). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nolan, M., Brown, J., Naughton, M., & Nolan, J. (1998). Developing nursing's future role 2: Nurses' job satisfaction and morale. British Journal of Nursing, 7, 1044–1047.

    Google Scholar 

  • Norusis, M. L. (1993). SPSS for windows: Base system user's guide, Release 6.0. Chicago: SPSS Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Reilly, P. (1988). Methodological issues in social support and social network research. Social Science and Medicine, 26, 863–873.

    Google Scholar 

  • Payne, R. L., & Graham Jones, J. (1987). Measurement and methodological issues in social support. In S. V. Kasl & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Stress and health: Issues in research methodology (pp. 167–205). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Quick, J. C., & Quick, J. D. (1984). Organizational stress and preventive management. New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robson, C. (1993). Real world research: A resource for social scientists and practitioner-researchers. Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, R., & Rosnow, R. L. (1991). Essential of behavioral research: Methods and data analysis (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarafino, E. P. (1998). Health psychology: Biopsychosocial interactions (3rd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sauter, S. L., & Murphy, L. R. (Eds.). (1995). Organizational risk factors for job stress. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seccombe, I., & Patch, A. (1995). Recruiting, retaining and rewarding qualified nurses in 1995 (Report No. 295). Brighton: Institute of Employment Studies, University of Sussex.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shumaker, S. A., & Brownell, A. (1984). Toward a theory of social support: Closing conceptual gaps. Journal of Social Issues, 40, 11–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, R. G. (1990). Relationship between occupational stress and social support in flight nurses. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine, 61, 349–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spouse, J., & Redfern, L. (Eds.). (2000). Successful supervision in health care practice: Promoting professional development. Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • SPSS. (1998). SPSS Base 8.0 applications guide. Chicago: SPSS Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steptoe, A., & Appels, A. (1989). Stress, personal control and health. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tyler, P., & Cushway, D. (1995). Stress in nurses: the effects of coping and social support. Stress Medicine, 11, 243–251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Unden, A. L. (1996). Social support at work and its relationship to absenteeism. Work & Stress, 10, 46–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Veiel, H. O. F., & Baumann, U. (1992). The many meanings of social support. In H. O. F. Veiel & U. Baumann (Eds.), The Meaning and Measurement of Social Support (Papers from an international symposium held in May 1990 in Bad Homburg, Germany) (pp. 1–7). New York: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Viswesvaran, C., Sanchez, J. I., & Fisher, J. (1999). The role of social support in the process of work stress: A meta-analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54, 335–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wanous, J. P., Reichers, A. E., & Hudy, M. J. (1997). Overall job satisfaction: How good are singleitem measures? Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 247–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wethington, E., & Kessler, R. (1986). Perceived support, received support and adjustment to stressful life events. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 27, 78–89.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), Manchester, UK

    Jennifer R. Bradley

  2. Research and Training Center, Regional Research Institute, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR, 97207-0751

    Jennifer R. Bradley

  3. UMIST, Manchester, UK

    Sue Cartwright

Authors
  1. Jennifer R. Bradley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sue Cartwright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bradley, J.R., Cartwright, S. Social Support, Job Stress, Health, and Job Satisfaction Among Nurses in the United Kingdom. International Journal of Stress Management 9, 163–182 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015567731248

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015567731248

Search

Navigation