Occupational Stress and Coping among Nurses in a Super Specialty Hospital

Nursing is a demanding occupation characterized by high work demands, the need to learn new technologies, to work to increasingly intensified schedules, and to respond to emergencies. In addition to excessive working hours, shift work with its changing routine worsens stress. Poor management and supervisory practices also contributes to stress outcomes. This article examines stress among nurses working in different units and their coping abilities in a super specialty hospital in Kerala. Willing respondents of the study include 339 nurses of either sex. Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS) (French et al. 2000) and Brief Cope (Carver 1997) were administered in small groups of two to twelve participants over a four-month period. Results showed majority were females, single and less than 30 years of age. Of the 13 domains of stress the nurses who had less than one year of work perceived as 'stressful' issues related to workload, failure to carry out nursing responsibilities because of demands by patient and patient's carers. Nurses working in OTs and emergency unit rated 'conflict with supervisors' as extreme stressors whereas ICU nurses rated 'inadequate emotional preparation' as extreme stressor. The primary coping mode included praying or meditating and looking for something good in the situation. Many had resorted to healthier modes of coping like resorting to humour, seeking social support, positive appraisal and abstaining from using substances/drugs.