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Abstract

Background & objective: Nurses are frequently exposed to psychological stress and sleep disturbances due to the highly demanding nature of their job. Continued stress can lead to impaired cognitive performance and affect patient care. We aimed to compare the psychological health and sleep patterns in between nurses in general hospitals and the specialized centers to explore the impact of work setting on these outcomes.
Methodology: A comparative study design was employed, involving a convenience sample of nurses from both general hospitals and specialized medical centers in the Kufa region. Standardized assessment tools were used, including the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) for psychological health and the quality of sleep (12-item) for the sleep patterns. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS to determine significant differences between the two groups.
Results: The study found that the majority of nurses (78%) experienced interrupted sleep. There was no statistically significant difference (0.571) in sleep quality between nurses working in general hospitals and those in specialized centers, nor between those with or without psychological distress. The weak association (Cramér’s V = 0.117) further supports the conclusion that institutional setting and mental health status do not substantially affect the sleep quality of the nurses in this sample.
Conclusion: The study found no significant differences in sleep quality or psychological health between nurses in public hospitals and those in specialized centers. This similarity is likely due to both groups working under the same governmental system with comparable workloads and demographics. The unified work conditions may explain the parallel outcomes. Future research is recommended to explore differences between the public and private healthcare settings.
Abbreviations: GHQ-28: General Health Questionnaire-28,
Keywords: Nurses; Psychological Health; Sleep Patterns; General Hospitals; Specialized Centers; Occupational Stress
Citation: Abdul Ameer AAH, Al- Hamoodi AAN. A comparison of psychological health and sleep patterns among
nurses working in general hospitals and specialized centers. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2025;29(6):600-606
DOI: 10.35975/apic.v29i6.2907
Received: May 09, 2024; Revised: October 26, 2024; Accepted: January 01, 2025