Effects of the nursing practice environment, slow nursing, and living a calling on geriatric nursing stress among general hospital nurses in South Korea: a cross-sectional descriptive study.

PURPOSE: This study examined factors influencing geriatric nursing stress among general hospital nurses, with a focus on the nursing practice environment, slow nursing, and living a calling. METHODS: This descriptive correlational study surveyed 176 nurses with recent experience in geriatric nursing using an online questionnaire administered in September 2025. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression analysis with SPSS version 25.0. RESULTS: Geriatric nursing stress was negatively correlated with living a calling (r = -.19, p = .013) and the nursing practice environment (r = -.29, p < .001), but positively correlated with slow nursing (r = .29, p < .001). Among the subdomains, staffing and resource adequacy within the nursing practice environment (r = -.37, p < .001) and comfort provision within slow nursing (r = .32, p < .001) showed the strongest associations with geriatric nursing stress. In multiple regression analysis, staffing and resource adequacy (β = -.24, p = .011) and comfort provision (β = .23, p = .009) were significant predictors of geriatric nursing stress, collectively explaining 27% of the variance. CONCLUSION: Improving staffing and resource adequacy within the nursing practice environment may help reduce geriatric nursing stress. Because comfort provision was identified as a positive predictor of stress, organizational strategies are needed to support nurses in delivering comfort-focused care without increasing stress. Reducing geriatric nursing stress is critical for promoting nurse well-being and ensuring organizational sustainability.