Relationship between occupational stress and sleep quality among emergency nurses

Background Emergency nurses face high occupational stress and long working hours, which may contribute to sleep disorders. However, the extent and nature of this association remain unclear. Objective This study assessed the relationship between occupational stress and sleep disorders among emergency nurses and identified their contributing factors. Study design A stratified cluster sampling method was employed between 26 December 2023 and 18 January 2024, based on the seven geographical regions of China (Northeast, North, East, Central, South, Southwest, and Northwest China). Emergency nurses aged ≥18 years, with ≥1 year of emergency care experience, and no psychiatric disorder history were included. Nurses undergoing advanced training or those on sick leave, maternity leave, or breastfeeding leave for ≥1 month were excluded. Participants completed a structured questionnaire including demographic data, an occupational stress assessment using a five-point Likert scale from 1 to 5, and sleep disorder quality evaluation. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with sleep disorders, whereas Spearman’s correlation analysis evaluated the relationship between occupational stress and sleep disorders. Results A total of 1,551 questionnaires were collected. After excluding 11 invalid responses, 1,540 were analyzed. Binary logistic regression identified key risk factors for sleep disorders, including 11–15 years of work experience (OR = 1.692), weekly working hours of 49–58 h (OR = 1.784) or ≥59 h (OR = 2.268), night shift frequency, and overcommitment scores (OR = 1.098). A significant positive correlation was found between occupational stress and sleep disturbances ( p < 0.05). Conclusion These findings highlight the need for hospital administrators to implement targeted interventions, such as psychological support programs, shift rotation optimization, and stress management training. Future research should focus on longitudinal designs to establish causal pathways and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving sleep quality among emergency nurses.