Study on the Synthetic Action of Environmental Factors on the Work Stress of Medical Staff

Background: Much literature has indicated that the physical environmental conditions affect medical staff’s job performance—for example, satisfaction, behavior, error rates, and psychological stress, which further impacts the recovery and well-being of patients. Aims: This study investigates the environmental conditions of medical staff and explores the role of a combination of environmental factors that can reduce their work stress. Methods: From April 17 to June 2, a field investigation was conducted at a hospital in Jiujiang, Jiangxi Province. In terms of environmental factors, light intensity, decorative pictures, and vegetation were chosen as independent variables based on literature review, which were combined into six experimental groups. Twelve medical staff members, including doctors and nurses, were recruited from inpatient departments. They were asked to complete actigraphy recordings and self-reported satisfaction assessments (e.g., job satisfaction and environmental satisfaction) to evaluate their emotion during working shifts in different environmental settings. Several scales and questionnaires (e.g., Eye Fatigue Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (PHQ-9), and Perceived Stress Scales (PSS)) were used in in-depth interviews to assess participants’ medical symptoms and mental health status. The between-subjects experimental design was adopted for descriptive statistics and multiple linear stepwise regression analysis. Results: Experimental results demonstrated that participants preferred the illumination level of 300 lx than 400 lx for night shifts. In regard to decorative pictures and vegetation, participants expressed that vegetation, instead of pictures, would create a comfortable atmosphere. Conclusions: The findings suggested that the combination of 300 lx illumination and vegetation could play an important role on the reduction of medical staff’s work stress, and decorative pictures had minimal effects. A better understanding can be achieved about the combined action of environmental factors on the working conditions of medical staff, which can be used as evidence to inform the design of healthcare environments and optimize health outcomes.