Job‐related stress in psychiatric assistant nurses

AIM: We aimed to clarify how stress among psychiatric assistant nurses (PANs) differed from Registered Nurses (PRNs). DESIGN: Cross‐sectional survey study was conducted with PRNs and PANs working in six psychiatric hospitals in Japan. METHODS: The Psychiatric Nurse Job Stressor Scale (PNJSS) and the job stressor and stress reaction subscales of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire measured stress in 68 PANs and 140 PRNs. The results were statistically analysed. RESULTS: Psychiatric assistant nurses had significantly higher scores than PRNs on the job stressor subscales in psychiatric nursing ability, interpersonal relations and in the stress reaction subscales of irritability and somatic symptoms. “Psychiatric nursing ability,” “Communication” and “Use of techniques” were associated with almost all stress reactions in PANs than in PRNs.