Occupational Stress and Employee Performance in University Teaching Hospitals in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, Nigeria

The study examined the effect of occupational stress on employee performance in teaching hospitals in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, Nigeria. Specifically, it assessed the effects of workload, long working hours, inadequacy of medical facilities and equipment, and role conflict on quality service delivery. The study adopted an ex-post facto research design using survey method, and data were collected from 350 respondents drawn from University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital. Four hypotheses were tested using ordered probit, logit, and extreme value regression models, with the probit model identified as the most suitable based on model fit criteria. Findings revealed that workload, long working hours, inadequacy of medical facilities and equipment, and role conflict all had statistically significant positive coefficients on employee performance measured through quality service delivery. However, this does not imply improved working conditions. Rather, it suggests pressure-driven performance, where staff maintain or increase output under stressful and constrained hospital environments. The model further showed strong explanatory power (R² = 0.745; Adj. R² = 0.715), indicating that occupational stress variables jointly explained about 71.5 percent of variations in performance outcomes. The study concludes that while occupational stressors may appear positively associated with performance in the short term, this reflects adaptive coping and intensified effort under pressure rather than sustainable efficiency or improved service quality. It is recommended that hospital management implement workload redistribution, regulate working hours, and ensure adequate provision and maintenance of medical facilities and equipment. Clear job role definitions should also be enforced to reduce role conflict. These interventions are necessary to reduce occupational stress, improve staff well-being, and sustain long-term quality service delivery in Nigerian teaching hospitals.