Τhe impact of nursing profession in the life of nursing staff

Aim: The purpose of this study was to estimate how profession affects the personal, family and social life of nursing staff. MATERIAL-Method: The sample of the study was constituted of 282 nurses and assistance nurses, who were employed in five public hospitals, two in Athens and three in the province area. The research was carried out during the months June 2005 to May 2006. For data collection a special questionnaire of 20 closed-ended questions was made and was completed in the presence of the researchers. The response percentage was 100%. Results: The majority of sample was female (81.5%). The mean age was 40 years (25–55 years). The 62.1% were nurses with technological education. The statistical analysis showed that women and those who worked for 10 years and more felt tired more often (P<0.001). Women revealed more often outbreaks of anger and affliction (P<0.001) and they also felt that they were in the state of alert (P<0.005). The 44% of the sample who worked for 10 years and more stated that rarely had the time for hobbies and gym comparatively with those that worked for less than 5 years (P<0.001). The statistical analysis of the sample found no significant difference for smokers in regard with sex and the years of work. Conclusions: Working in hospital affects the personal, family and social life of nursing stuff especially women and professionals who work for over 10 years.