The Impact of Novice Nurses' Characteristics and Personalities on Work-Related Stress

Background: High stress is related to the high turnover rate of new nursing staffs. Accordingly, determining how to retain novice nurses is critical.

Purpose: Understand the relationship between novice nurses' basic characteristics, personality traits, and work-related stress.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used purposive sampling to recruit novice nurses working in the general wards and intensive care unit of a medical centre (179 questionnaires).

Results: (1) Length of past clinical nursing experience, and self-perceived compatibility with current position was found to be significantly correlated with work-related stress. (2) Personality traits and work-related stress were significantly and negatively correlated. (3) "Length of past clinical nursing experience," "self-perceived compatibility with the current position," "emotional stability," and "conscientiousness" were able to predict work-related stress with an explanatory power of 46%.

Conclusion: If will allow nursing students to familiarize themselves with the clinical work model early, add to the clinical nursing experience, and lower the turnover rate for novice nurses.