OBJECTIVES: To determine which stress factors at work nurses perceived as stressful. To find out whether the psychosomatic symptoms are present and how stress affects health and working ability of nurses and whether specific work stressors are more prominent in certain hospital wards. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study in which subjects were 340 nurses and technicians. The survey was conducted anonymously by using standardized and validated (valid and reliable) Questionnaire on stressors in the workplace for hospital healthcare workers and the Questionnaire for determining the Work Ability Index (eng. Work Ability Index Questionnaire, WAIQ). RESULTS: Most of the participants of this study consisted of women (92.94%), completed secondary school, while the average age was 40.43 years. At the same time the greatest number of participants has work experience between 0 and 10 years, and they worked equally long at the current position. Significant have been proven links between occupational stressors and physical and mental demands of work and social stressors and mental requirements of the job. The highest average value of stress was among the employees who work at the Institute, while the lowest stress levels was among employees working at the Polyclinic. In units within the workplace is the most stressful was in the delivery room, and the least stressful on transfusion. As for the diseases of participants by doctor's diagnosis, the most common diseases are diseases of the musculoskeletal system and injuries in the accident, the least common were psychiatric disorders and tumors. In their own opinion, the most common diseases were diseases of the musculoskeletal system and injuries in the accident, while the rarest were neurological and sensory disorders and hematological diseases. On average nurses consider themselves healthier than medical findings suggest. Evident were statistically significant relationships between the professional and social stressors and current diseases. CONCLUSIONS: On average, nurses consider themselves healthier than medical findings suggest. Stress has a significant effect on the health and working ability of nurses. Environmental stressors have the biggest influence on work ability and health status of nurses in the delivery room, intensive care units and emergency admission.