Stress management strategies for NP practice

Abstract

Knowledge of stress management strategies is helpful to NPs in clinical practice, as they frequently encounter patients or patients' family members who require assistance in managing acute stress. Patients or patients' family members may experience a high level of stress due to health factors such as pain, life-changing diagnoses, treatment options viewed as undesirable, and/or poor medical prognoses. In addition, healthcare visits, hospitalization, diagnostic tests, surgical procedures, and other treatments can cause stress for some patients. NPs should therefore be well informed about stress management strategies to be able to effectively educate and provide compassionate care for their patients. This article reviews four strategies designed to assist patients and/or their family members in reducing stress to allow for a more positive experience during a healthcare visit or hospitalization.