Health and Well-Being of Nurses in Hospitals in Bangalore: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: To assess the health-related quality of life (HqOL) of nurses working in three major types of hospitals in Bangalore namely- trust, government and private hospitals. Nurses are responsible for providing social and emotional support and care to hospitalised patients. Investigating nursing personnel's health and well-being allows us to better understand the impact of their occupation and surroundings on their health and well-being. Well-being, refers to the degree to which an individual is capable of experiencing health at bodily, emotional, and psychological levels.

Materials & Methods: The health-related QoL (SF-12v2) questionnaire was administered to nurses working in three types of hospitals in a cross-sectional field survey. A random sample of 115 healthy nurses between the ages of 21 and 50 took part in the survey. The nurses were personally met in small groups to assign the questionnaire and collect data. The scale consists of 12 items, each with a different option and a number ranging from 1 to 5. The final output computes the respondents' health and well-being across the three groups.

Results: Mental health and well-being of nurses indicated a below average score for Trust and Private hospital that was significantly lower than the Government hospital nurses. While physical health and well-being were found to be below average but not significant for all three types of hospitals, the impact on mental well-being (P<0.01) was greater for nurses.

Conclusion: Better work environments must be planned by hospital administrators and healthcare consultants in order to improve the health of nurses and thus their productivity.