Sociological Study of Occupational Challenges and Quality of Life Among the Nurses of Secondary Care Hospital in District Layyah

Abstract

It is well acknowledged that nursing is among the most difficult occupations in the healthcare industry. This is due to the fact that nurses encounter a multitude of problems when providing healthcare services in hospitals. Nursing is widely regarded as one of the most demanding professions, placing practitioners at the intersection of patient need and institutional pressure. Day after day, nurses navigate heavy workloads, extended shifts, and environments where essential resources are often insufficient. These realities do not simply make the job difficult; they shape the overall wellbeing of those who carry it out. This study was designed to examine how such occupational challenges translate into real consequences for nurses' quality of life, with a focus on secondary care hospitals in District Layyah, Pakistan. Layyah comprises three tehsils, namely Layyah, Karor Lal Esan, and Choubara, and Tehsil Layyah was selected for this inquiry given its accessibility and its four functioning public secondary care hospitals. From these hospitals, 150 nurses were recruited as study participants using a proportionate sampling approach, ensuring representation across facilities. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire developed specifically for this purpose, and analysis was carried out using SPSS version 26, drawing on both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. What emerged from the findings was a clear and multi-layered picture: occupational challenges among nurses in this setting were not isolated inconveniences but interconnected pressures with measurable effects on their quality of life. Regarding workload and job demands, nurses frequently worked overtime due to staff shortages (3.97±1.26) and reported physical exhaustion after duty (3.92±0.99). In terms of organizational and administrative issues, lack of resources and proper medical equipment emerged as the most pressing concern (4.07±1.01). Concerning social and psychological challenges, feeling stress due to job responsibilities was most prominent (3.77±0.92), followed by depression due to workload (3.67±1.04). With respect to quality of life, staff shortages were found to increase stress and reduce well-being (3.93±1.12), while low salary and benefits were identified as the leading organizational factor reducing overall life satisfaction (3.95±0.98). Psychological pressure from work was reported as the greatest contributor to lowered quality of life, whereas physical health indicators remained near the neutral category (3.37±1.16), suggesting nurses maintained moderate physical health despite occupational burdens. Emotional well-being scores, including motivation toward the nursing career (3.30±1.15), also hovered near neutrality. Respondents recommended adequate salary and professional respect (17.3%), sufficient hospital resources and equipment (15.3%), and increased nursing staff to reduce workload (12.7%) as priority interventions to improve occupational conditions and quality of life.