Job Stress among General Practitioners and Nurses in Primary Care in England

Abstract

This is a description comparing job stress, job satisfaction, and mental well-being of general practitioners (n = 205) and practice nurses (n = 119) in England, based on responses to a questionnaire. General practitioners reported lower job satisfaction and significantly greater pressure at work than did the practice nurses. Also, male general practitioners had significantly higher scores on anxiety and depression than a British normative population. Practice nurses, on the other hand, reported lower scores on anxiety and depression. The results should be interpreted with caution as the study is based on a small sample limited to the northwest region only; however, it does provide information which has important implications for the well-being of doctors and nurses in primary care.