Major stress factors in nurses
Nurses are often exposed to stress due to the peculiarities of their jobs and some features of American healthcare. It has been acknowledged that the workload caused by inappropriate staffing is one of the primary causes of nursing practitioners’ stress and associated health problems.
However, other factors have an impact on nurses’ health. For instance, personal accomplishments tend to predict nursing professionals’ exposure to stress (Wang, Liu, & Wang, 2015). It is found that nurses who cannot accomplish their personal goals related to their professional life have low job satisfaction and higher burnout and emotional exhaustion. Another influential stressor is associated with nurses’ inability to communicate effectively with other healthcare professionals and patients’ relatives (Happell et al., 2013). Increased levels of stress are also associated with working shifts. These factors should be taken into account when developing interventions aimed at developing stress management skills in nurses.
Effective stress management strategies
Nurses can benefit from the participation in non-ward-based incentives and events and acknowledgment from leaders and management (Happell et al., 2013). The role of administration and management in this process is quite central. Administrators should reveal nurses’ professional and personal goals to develop the most effective job modifications (Wang et al., 2015). Group cohesion and commitment can be instrumental in reducing stress in nursing professionals (Li, Early, Mahrer, Klaristenfeld, & Gold, 2014). Finally, the provision of training aimed at developing communication skills can also be an effective solution to the issue.
References
Happell, B., Dwyer, T., Reid-Searl, K., Burke, K., Caperchione, C., & Gaskin, C. (2013). Nurses and stress: Recognizing causes and seeking solutions. Journal of Nursing Management, 21(4), 638-647.
Li, A., Early, S., Mahrer, N., Klaristenfeld, J., & Gold, J. (2014). Group cohesion and organizational commitment: Protective factors for nurse residents’ job satisfaction, compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, and burnout. Journal of Professional Nursing, 30(1), 89-99.
Wang, S., Liu, Y., & Wang, L. (2015). Nurse burnout: Personal and environmental factors as predictors. International Journal of Professional Nursing, 21(1), 78-86.