Fatigue, quality of life, and social support in Greek health staff: Public versus private kidney units

Healthcare professionals often experience fatigue and a diminished quality of life due to demanding hours and challenges in balancing work and personal life. Social support plays a critical role in influencing these factors. This study focused on nurses and healthcare workers in the artificial kidney unit, a specialized area requiring significant expertise to operate complex machinery for seriously ill patients. We assessed levels of fatigue, social support, and quality of life among 159 doctors and nurses in public and private facilities across Greece using the Fatigue Assessment Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and General Health Questionnaire-28. Participants reported moderate fatigue (mean = 2.63, standard deviation [SD] = 0.57 for doctors; mean = 2.42, SD = 0.49 for nurses) and moderate-to-high levels of social support (mean = 5.66, SD = 1.35). Factors negatively impacting quality of life, such as physical symptoms, anxiety, social dysfunction, and severe depression, yielded low scores. Notably, fatigue and quality of life differed significantly between public and private sectors (p < 0.05), with public sector professionals reporting higher fatigue levels and lower quality of life. These findings highlight the need for healthcare authorities to address the unique challenges faced by staff in artificial kidney units, particularly in public hospitals, to improve working conditions and overall well-being.