What Strategies Do the Nurses Apply to Cope With Job Stress?: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Nursing staff encounter a lot of physical, psychological and social stressors at work. Because the adverse effects of job stress on the health of this group of staff and subsequently on the quality of care services provided by nurses; study and identify how nurses cope with the job stress is very important and can help prevent the occurrence of unfavorable outcomes.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of nurses to identify the strategies they used to cope with the job stress.

METHODS: In this qualitative study content analysis approach was used. Purposive sampling approach was applied. The sample population included 18 nurses working in three hospitals. Data collection was conducted through face to face unstructured interview and was analyzed using conventional content analysis approach.

FINDINGS: The analysis of the data emerged six main themes about the strategies used by nurses to cope with job stress, which, include: situational control of conditions, seeking help, preventive monitoring of situation, self-controlling, avoidance and escape and spiritual coping.

CONCLUSIONS: Exploring experiences of nurses on how to cope with job stress emerged context-dependent and original strategies and this knowledge can pave the ground for nurses to increase self-awareness of how to cope with job stress. And could also be the basis for planning and the adoption of necessary measures by the authorities to adapt nurses with their profession better and improves their health which are essential elements to fulfill high-quality nursing care.