Nursing stress: the effects of coping strategies and job satisfaction in a sample of Australian nurses

Abstract

Nursing stress: the effects of coping strategies and job satisfaction in a sample of Australian nurses The study reported in this paper examined relationships between nursing work-related stressors and coping strategies, and their impact upon nurses' levels of job satisfaction and mood disturbance. It was proposed that higher levels of perceived work stress and use of avoidance coping would increase mood disturbance, while problem-focused coping would be associated with less mood disturbance. The study also aimed to explore the possible 'buffering effects' of using humour in coping with stress, and the effect of job satisfaction on the stress-mood relationship. The sample consisted of 129 qualified Australian nurses who volunteered to complete standardized questionnaires, including the Nursing Stress Scale, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, the Coping Humour Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale of the Nurse Stress Index, and the shortened version of the Profile of Mood States. Results revealed a significant positive relationship between nursing stress and mood disturbance, and a significant negative relationship between nursing stress and job satisfaction. The use of avoidance coping and the perception of work overload were found to be significant predictors of mood disturbance. No evidence was found to indicate that the use of humour had a moderating effect on the stress-mood relationship but there was support for the influence of job satisfaction upon this relationship. These results provided some support for a transactional model of stress since situational factors were found to influence the nurses' coping and perceptions of stress.

Stress and stressors in the clinical environment: a comparative study of fourth‐year student nurses and newly qualified general nurses in Ireland

“…Nonetheless findings prompt cognisance and action on behalf of all stakeholders in nurse education. Similar issues were identified in the UK in the last decade (Kipping, 2000) and indeed further a field in Australia (Healy and McKay, 2000). Demerouti et al (2000) echo the findings of Benner and Wrubel (1989) This is compounded by the loss of qualified nurses abroad very soon after qualification (Treacy and Hyde, 2003).…”

“…Burns and Grove (2005), acknowledge that while the scores are at ordinal level in this type of scale, the sum of the scores are treated as interval, thus acceptable to use for statistical purposes assuming interval level of measurement. Studies that have employed the Nursing Stress Scale to date were analysed on the assumption that levels of measurement are interval (Lee et al, 2007;Pinikahana and Happell, 2004;Stordeur et al, 2001;Healy and McKay, 2000).…”

“…Student nurses and indeed newly qualified nurses may find themselves in a vulnerable position particularly in new surroundings with new people (Muncey, 1998). As a consequence to finding themselves entering a different organisational culture (Marguis and Huston, 2000), they often are reluctant to tell anyone that they are "not coping" or finding the transition stressful (White, 1996) and are often discouraged to admit that they have experienced stress (Healy and McKay, 2000).…”

“…Parahoo (1997) asserts that predictive validity can be confirmed in the future with consistent results measuring the same concept at a later stage. The Nursing Stress Scale has evidenced its predictive validity through extensive use over the past two decades with consistent results (French et al, 2000;Healy and McKay, 2000).…”

“…Farrington (1997) outlines how stress is depressing, demoralizing and de-motivating for nurses. Stress affects the well being of the nurse with a positive correlation between stress and mood disturbance (Healy and McKay, 2000). McVicar (2003) declares that stress involves a person's perception of the demands being made on them and to their perception of their ability to meet those demands.…”