A narrative review, qualitative analysis and development of a conceptual model of workplace stress factors among non-clinical healthcare staff

Background and Objective: While workplace stress among frontline healthcare workers has been addressed in the medical literature, non-clinical support staff face distinct stressors that also warrant examination. The objective of this narrative review is to consolidate findings from previous studies and provide a comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges and effects of workplace stress on non-clinical healthcare staff. This understanding is crucial for developing targeted interventions to support this essential workforce. Methods: A comprehensive search for articles focusing on workplace stress among healthcare support staff was conducted in PubMed, JSTOR, ProQuest, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from database inception until February 2024. The article selection process was based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Following article selection, a qualitative content analysis was performed using directed coding and matrix analysis to identify key themes and sub-themes related to workplace stress factors and their impacts. Key Content and Findings: From 147 identified articles, 10 met criteria for analysis. The review findings were organized into five main themes: (I) predominant factors contributing to workplace stress; (II) impact on well-being and job satisfaction; (III) variations across support staff subgroups; (IV) manifestations of stress; and (V) interventions to mitigate stress and enhance well-being. These themes encompass key challenges such as workload, work control, and work relationships, as well as their impacts on mental health and job satisfaction. The findings were consolidated into a conceptual model, providing a comprehensive resource for understanding the relationships between stressors, job demands, resources, and outcomes. Conclusions: This review assessed the sources of workplace stress experienced by healthcare support staff and its impact on their personal and performance outcomes. The findings highlight the pressing need to acknowledge and address workplace stress among non-clinical healthcare staff.