Unlocking Prevalence Data: Describing the Job Stress and Well-being of U.S. Correctional Nurses.

Background: Little is known about the health and well-being of U.S. correctional nurses. To protect correctional nurses, a better understanding of organizational characteristics, job stress, and well-being must be undertaken.

Method: A cross-sectional design was used in the form of an online survey. Correctional nurses were conveniently recruited using national listservs and snowball sampling. Variables were measured with the Health & Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool, Nurse Wellbeing Index, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analyses of variance.

Findings: Two hundred seventy participants (142 registered nurses, 83 licensed practical nurses/licensed vocational nurses, and 42 advanced practice nurses) completed the survey. Job stress scored moderate (M = 16.26, SD = 7.14), and well-being levels were just below the risk for adverse events (M = 1.8, SD = 3.06). Lower scores were noted for managerial support (M = 3.13, SD = 0.35) and job demands (M = 3.56, SD = 0.92), but slightly better for job control (M = 3.57, SD = 0.77), peer support (M = 3.85, SD = 0.64), and workplace relationships (M = 3.73, SD = 0.95).

Conclusions: Significant differences between organizational characteristics, job stress, and well-being were found across nursing licensure, workplace environments, biological sex, and employment through state or private agencies. Registered nurses working in U.S. prisons experienced the highest job stress and worse well-being.

Application to practice: This work is an essential next step in promoting healthy workspaces, urging the need for further research establishing the impact of organizational characteristics and job stress on nurse well-being.