Health Status and Work Ability among Nurses

Introduction. Nurses are considered to be an integral part of health care system. Exposure to high level of occupational stress and various psychological problems can have direct impact on nurses’ work ability and their health.Aim. To identify health problems that affect nursing professionals in the acute care hospital and the related factors, especially WAI.Methods. The data were collected from December 2017 to June 2018 at the Sisters of Mercy University Hospital Center in Zagreb, Croatia. The study included 713 nurses. The data were collected using socio-demographic, health- and work-related questions and the Work Ability Index Questionnaire.Results. Nurses’ self-rated health is considered good, but out of 51 health difficulties and diseases offered, 10 different problems are present in more than 10% respondents, which seems very worrying. The most common are disorder of the lower back (38.7%), disorder of the upper back or cervical spine (38.1%), back injury (22.7%), gastritis or duodenal irritation (17.4%), sciatica (16.7%), and hypertension (15.1%). Out of 51 health problems, a significant difference in self-rated health was found in 45, and in 29 for current work ability. Higher age, female gender, secondary education, none or too much physical activity, less overtime hours, and commuting longer than 60 minutes are connected with different health problems, mostly musculoskeletal disorders. Conclusion. It is necessary to focus more on the nurses’ health condition, both in the research and practical sense, and undertake various preventive and curative procedures that will reduce the incidence of numerous health problems present in this population.