How do nurses cope with stress

Often, they include both short-term and long-term effects on physical health. For example, the American Psychological Association notes that stress can have a major impact on the musculoskeletal system. Stress causes the muscles to tense, a protective response against pain and injury.

The muscles of constantly stressed people are continually on guard, which can result in temporary or chronic back, neck and shoulder pain. Tension headaches can also be recurring symptoms of stress. Stress may also lead to cardiovascular problems. One of the immediate effects of stress is an elevated heart rate. Over time, this contributes to an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and hypertension. Some additional physical effects of stress include the following. Employees in high-stress environments may face significant mental and emotional health consequences, including an increased risk for depression and anxiety.

Why is this so? Stress triggers the release of certain hormones , including sedative hormones that try to calm the body and mind. When released consistently, these sedative hormones can lead to ongoing feelings of depression, lethargy and low energy. Nurse stress is not only common but also potentially highly hazardous to physical and mental health. The good news is that practical steps can help manage nurse stress in the workplace. What situations, conditions or people cause personal stress levels to rise?

Nurses can identify personal stressors by keeping a simple journal, making note of days when they feel especially overwhelmed and jotting down the circumstances contributing to that feeling. By identifying specific stressors, nurses can discover avoidance or mitigation strategies. For example, nurses may note that they feel especially stressed on days when they eat a later lunch. A few workplace snacks or protein bars may help curb stress caused by hunger.

Another important way to deal with nurse stress in the workplace is to take time for self-care. Specifically, nurses can set aside time to recharge following especially long shifts or grueling work weeks. How Nurses Can Manage Stress in the Workplace One way nurses can lower stress is to use aromatherapy with substances like lavender oil. How Health Care Managers and Administrators Can Support Nurses Health care managers and administrators can provide the type of support nurses need by promoting a positive work culture through team outings and team-building activities.

How Resilience and Technology Can Reduce Nurse Stress and Burnout Health care leaders should seek to build resilience among their staff members to help reduce stress and prevent burnout. The Importance of Building Resilience According to the Joint Commission, resilience involves fostering resources to combat workplace challenges. These include the use of artificial intelligence AI for administrative and repetitive tasks, utilizing predictive and prescriptive analytics and improved use of electronic health records EHR Bringing Better Health to Nurses Self-care is not optional in the nursing profession.

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What program are you most interested in? Open in a separate window. Figure 1. Discussion As it was noted, nurses are affected by various factors including the nature of the work, stressful working conditions, poor and unsuitable working relationships, and after feeling stressed out, a comprehensive attempt is made to calm the situation in a situational coping format, which emerges in various strategies.

Acknowledgments This study is the result of nursing doctoral thesis supported by Research Deputy of Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences. Ethical issues None to be declared. References 1. Akbarbegloo M, Valizadeh L. Occupational tension and coping strategies in nurses in psychological ward of Tabriz Razi hospital.

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