70.

5% of nurses cited the acute and chronic effects of stress and

overwork among their top three health and safety concerns and that
75.8% of surveyed nurses report that unsafe working conditions do,
in fact, interfere with their ability to deliver quality care. In a meta
analysis of workplace stress in nursing, several major themes were
identified as sources of workplace stress for nurses. These were:

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Workload/inadequate staff cover/time pressure
Relationship with other clinical staff
Leadership and management style/poor locus of control/poor group cohesion/lack of adequate
supervisory support
Coping with emotional needs of patients and their families/poor patient diagnosis/death and dying

Indeed, nurses are experiencing stress at higher rates than most groups.
What are the Effects of Stress?

Stress in Nurses and Other Health Care Workers

Factors commonly mentioned as causes of stress by all categories of hospital workers
(including nurses) are as follows (NIOSH 1978c; Huckabay and Jagla 1979; Bailey 1980;
Gribbins et al. 1982; Koran et al. 1983):
Understaffing

Role conflict and ambiguity

Inadequate resources

Working in unfamiliar

areas

Excessive noise

Lack of control (influence,

power) and participation in

planning and decision making

Lack of administrative
rewards
Under-utilization of talents
and abilities
Rotating shift work
Exposure to toxic substances
Exposure to infectious
patients

Other important stress factors include job specialization, discrimination, concerns about
money, lack of autonomy, work schedules, ergonomic factors, and technological
changes.Learn More

Managing Stress: A Holistic Approach

Holistic nursing views everything as inseparable and interrelated our mental, emotional,
physical and social/relational aspects are all intertwined and interconnected. What affects
one aspect of yourself will influence all other aspects. For instance:

The thoughts you think affect every cell in your body.

The emotions that you feel affect your thoughts, and likewise, the thoughts you think affect your
emotions.
The way you care for your body: the foods you ingest; the type and amount of exercise that you
engage in; the amount of rest and sleep that you get; the air you breathe . . .all of these practices have a
profound effect on your thoughts, your emotions, and your relationships.
And likewise, the types and nature of the relationships that you engage in affect your overall
physical health, your emotional health, your mental clarity, and your sense of well-being. (Thornton,
2006)

In developing a personal plan to help you deal more effectively with stress and bring more
health, vitality and wholesome behavior into your life, a holistic program that utilizes a
variety of approaches is useful. The wonderful thing about this is that since every aspect of
who you are is interrelated, when you create health in one area of your life the positive
effects spill into all other areas of your life! (Thornton, 2006)

There are many strategies nurses can use when coping with daily stress and strain:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Striving to communicate well at all levels.

Trying to be as non-threatening as possible in all dealings.
Developing a consistent reputation of being approachable.
Maintaining a routine of regular exercise and good nutrition.
Continuing in faith practices, which provide a steady focus and centering.
Taking advantage of the mentors or preceptors provided.
Participating in hobbies for recreation.
Guarding against compassion fatigue through self awareness.
Attaining a certification in ones nursing specialty.
Considering further one's education as a life-long learner.