Workplace Stress and Its Effect on the Productivity of Office Workers in Selected Hospitals in Rivers State

This research investigates the relationship between workplace stress and the productivity of office workers in selected public hospitals in Rivers State, within Nigeria's South South geopolitical zone. Healthcare administrative environments in Nigeria are characterised by high workloads, inadequate staffing, resource constraints, and poor work-life balance, all of which contribute to elevated stress levels among non-clinical office staff. The study adopts a descriptive survey design, targeting medical records officers, administrative managers, ward clerks, and human resources personnel in four state-owned hospitals. Structured questionnaires and standardised stress inventory tools are used as data collection instruments. The Job Demands-Resources Model and Conservation of Resources Theory provide the theoretical framework, supported by recent literature from 2020 to 2024. The study measures stress dimensions including workload pressure, role ambiguity, interpersonal conflict, and environmental discomfort, examining their impact on attendance, accuracy, and task completion rates. Recommendations are directed at hospital management boards and the Rivers State Ministry of Health. The study provides relevant insights into employee wellbeing within the Nigerian public health administrative sector. Keywords: workplace stress, productivity, office workers, hospitals, Rivers State