COMPARISON OF PREGNANCY OUTCOMES IN NURSES WORKING IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS WITH NURSES WORKING IN GENERAL WARDS IN HOSPITALS AFFILIATED TO YASOUJ UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES IN 2020

Nursing is one of the stressful jobs that may be related to the negative consequences of pregnancy for female nurses due to the nature of day and night work. Considering the differences between workload in different wards, this study was conducted to compare the pregnancy outcomes in nurses working in general and special wards in hospitals affiliated to Yasouj University of Medical Sciences.

This descriptive-analytical study was conducted retrospectively at hospitals affiliated to Yasouj University of Medical Sciences in 2020. The study population consisted of all nurses working in general wards and special wards. A researcher-made questionnaire was developed and it had three sections: demographic information, pregnancy information, and job characteristics. Questionnaires were completed by 110 nurses working in general wards and 65 nurses working in special wards. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software version 22 with the chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and odds ratio calculation.

There was no difference between demographic variables in the two groups. The results showed that the rate of spotting and intrauterine growth restriction in nurses working in intensive care units was higher than nurses working in general wards. However, according to the results of Fisher's exact test, a significant difference was observed between the two groups of nurses working in general and special wards in terms of the type of shift, the number of nurses with rotating shifts, the amount of physical activity in the workplace, and rest between working hours (p < 05).

The results of this study showed that nurses working in the intensive care units may experience more negative consequences in pregnancy compared to nurses working in general wards. This discrepancy may be due to the anxiety and stress that these nurses in special wards endure. It is recommended that nurses be employed in general wards during pregnancy.