Occupational Stress “Jobs Demand – Control Theory” in High Risk Department Healthcare Workers at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this cross-sectional descriptive research was to examine occupational stressful situations in the high-risk department healthcare workers at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital. Methods: The samples com prised 69 employees working in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Hospital. Quantitative research data were collected using Thai version of the 45-item Karasek Job Content Questionnaire. The Cronbach’s alpha reliability all scales were over than 0.7. Descriptive data were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Results: The study found that the majority of the sample group experienced moderate levels of work-related stress. Most participants were in the “active” group, accounting for 84.06% of the sample, while 15.94% fell into the “high strain” category. High scores were observed in five areas: Job control (= 83.84, SD = 11.98), psychological job demand ( = 71.84, SD = 13.06), physical job demand ( = 75.60, SD = 19.66), job security ( = 93.39, SD = 7.72), and social support ( = 80.35, SD = 16.83). In contrast, the score for hazard at work was low ( = 47.23, SD = 11.02) Conclusion: The majority of the sample group experienced moderate levels of occupational stress, followed by high levels. It is recommended that, for employees experiencing high stress, management should consider designing jobs that balance job demands or responsibilities with decision-making authority to meet organizational goals. This approach can help prevent work-related stress and encourage employee engagement. Effective stress management contributes to efficient service quality and ensures patient safety.