Abstract
Introduction: Proper assessment of the employees’ ability to work from an economic point of view is important for employers since it is one of the ways to increase human resource productivity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between job stress and ability to work in nurses of hospitals affiliated to Ahwaz University of Medical Sciences.
Methods: The present study was analytic and cross-sectional. The participants were 250 nurses with at least one year of work experience selected from all 8 hospitals affiliated to Ahwaz University of Medical Sciences using proportional sampling method. The dimensions of job stress and work ability were measured through the JCQ and WAI Questionnaires. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U, Spearman correlation coefficient­, and Kruskal-Wallis were used by SPSS₂₀.   
Results:  Work ability had a significant and direct correlation with and the decision making authority ( r= 0.161, p-value = 0.011) and physical isometric load (r= 0.136, p-value = 0.032). In contrast, a significant and inverse relationship was found between job ability and psychological needs (r=-0.177, p-value =0.005). No significant difference was observed between the ability to work and other dimensions of occupational stres.
Conclusion: In most nurses, moderate to high levels of job stress and moderate levels of  job ability were observed. To reduce their job stress and increase their ability to work, free decision making and social support should be increased, physical and psychological stresses should be adjusted, and job security should be enhanced.