Abstract

This study is performed in order to specify the working conditions and the issues of the nurses working in Adana City of Turkey at Çukurova University Balcalı Hospital; and to examine the effects of these on their family, daily and social lives. This was a descriptive study applied by distributing the survey form on 15.02.2008 to 238 nurses, which was prepared by benefitting from the literature; and by asking them to fill in the form voluntarily and recollecting the forms back. 55.9% of the nurses are married, 45.4% have license degree, 37.4% have associate degree and the average age is 39.4±5. Their term of employment is 10.09±7.45. Nurses stated that standing on duty effected their family lives (62.6%), social lives (60.9%), daily lives (60.5%), and they had problems from the point of children (76.5%). The most common reasons of complaint from the nurses during their daily lives were determined as follows: very tiring (76.5%), promotion facilities are limited (50.4%), needs extreme attention (42.4%), the given responsibility does not match with the level of the authority (40.8%) and there is a conflict between the working life, family duties and responsibilities (36.1%). The marital status of the nurses and its effect on the daily life (p<0.005) and on the social life (p<0.005) were found meaningful. The working conditions of the nurses need to be improved. Advanced researches may be suggested in order to meet the expectations of the nurses they have before starting their professions.

Key words: Family life, working on shift, occupational problems, nursing