Temperament and Character Traits, Heart Rate Variability and Occupational Stress in New Nursing Employees

Min Soo Ko; Yong Lee Jang; Jin Sook Choi; Hyun Bo Shim; Hee Jung Nam; Mee Suk Wang; In Deok Lee; Hae Woo Lee

doi:10.4306/jknpa.2016.55.3.271

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Ko, Jang, Choi, Shim, Nam, Wang, Lee, and Lee: Temperament and Character Traits, Heart Rate Variability and Occupational Stress in New Nursing Employees

Original Article

Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association 2016; 55(3): 271-276.

Published online: 31 August 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2016.55.3.271

Temperament and Character Traits, Heart Rate Variability and Occupational Stress in New Nursing Employees

Min Soo Ko, MD¹, Yong Lee Jang, MD, PhD¹, Jin Sook Choi, MD, PhD¹, Hyun Bo Shim, MD¹, Hee Jung Nam, MD, PhD¹, Mee Suk Wang, PhD², In Deok Lee, MA³, Hae Woo Lee, MD, PhD¹

¹Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

²Department of Nursing Science, Hanseo University, Seosan, Korea.

³Department of Nursing, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.

Address for correspondence: Hae Woo Lee, MD, PhD. Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Medical Center, 156 Sinnae-ro, Jungnang-gu, Seoul 02053, Korea. Tel +82-2-2276-8518, Fax +82-2-2276-8538, haebee@daum.net

Received 12 May 2016 Revised 18 July 2016 Accepted 22 July 2016

Abstract

Objectives

Nursing is a job with high stress. This study investigated the relationship between temperament and character traits, heart rate variability, and the severity of occupational stress in new nursing employees.

Methods

Ninety-seven nurses newly employed in a Seoul Medical Center from April 2014 to September 2015 were included to the study. Before beginning employment, all subjects were asked to complete a sociodemographic questionnaire and Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). After they were employed for a month, we administered a heart rate variability test and Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS).

Results

Harm avoidance (r=0.334, p=0.001), self-transcendence (r=0.224, p=0.028) and KOSS scores were positively correlated. Self-directedness (r=-0.278, p=0.006) and cooperativeness (r=-0.263, p=0.009) were negatively correlated with KOSS scores. In multiple regression analyses, harm avoidance and cooperativeness were risk factors for severe occupational stress. Physical parameters of total power (r=0.303, p=0.003), very low frequency (VLF ; r=0.318, p=0.002), and standard deviation of the NN interval (r=0.220, p=0.030) were significantly associated with higher KOSS scores. In multiple regression analysis, VLF was significant correlated with KOSS scores.

Conclusion

Individual factors, such as personality trait or autonomic function, may affect the occupational stress vulnerability on this study. Harm avoidance, cooperativeness in TCI parameters are associated with severity of the occupational stress.

Keywords: Occupational stress, Temperament and character, Heart rate variability, Nurse

Figures and Tables

Table 1

Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics

Table 2

Multiple linear regression analysis between TCI and KOSS total scores

Adjusted for sex, previous occupational history and work department. ^* : p<0.05. SE : Standard error, TCI : Temperament and Character Inventory, KOSS : Korean Occupational Stress Scale, HA : Harm avoidance, C : Cooperativeness

Table 3

Multiple linear regression analysis between HRV and KOSS total scores

Adjusted for sex, previous occupational history and work department. ^* : p<0.05. SE : Standard error, HRV : Heart rate variability, KOSS : Korean Occupational Stress Scale, VLF : Very low frequency

Notes

^{Conflicts of Interest} The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

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