Liliana Medina-Pimentel

Jacksonville University

May 8, 2015

RECOGNIZING STRESS SIGNS FOR

NURSES

Problem

• According to Burke, stress to nurses is caused by pressures and work demands (2013).

• A survey done in 2012 with about 3,000 nursing participants showed that 42% of nurses were categorized as having emotional fatigue (Burke, 2013).

• Stress in nursing has become a worldwide concern (Happell et al., 2013).

Major Factors forNurses to be Stressed

• Inadequate staffing

• Insufficient time to finish tasks

• Working during their break time

• Job dissatisfaction

• Workload

• Physical and emotional demands

• Working long hours

• Difficult patients and families

• Relationships with physicians

Physiological Changes Due to Stress• The sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical systems

prepare the body for the “fight-or-flight” response.

• By the activation of these systems, there is a production of several hormones in the body.

• These hormones cause accelerated heart rate, high blood pressure and sugar levels, vasoconstriction and failure of the digestive and immune systems.

Repeated Activation of the Sympathetic and Adrenal-Cortical Systems

• Troubles with temperament and sleep

• Digestive problems

• Headaches

• Family problems

• Difficulty concentrating

• Elevated blood pressure and cholesterol

• Cardiovascular diseases

• Infections

• Nervousness

• Depression

Early Signs of Stress Chronic Signs of Stress

Stress Related Outcomes• Nurses could get depressed

• They are unable to sleep

• They could feel inadequate

• They doubt themselves

• They have low self-esteem

• They tend to be irritable

Stress and Adoptive BehaviorsDue to constant stress nurses adopt unhealthy behaviors:

• Smoking

• Drinking

• Inactivity

• Drugs

• Psychiatric consults

Job Stress InterventionsRoberts and Grubb (2014) acknowledged that there should be a combination of interventions to reduce stress and ensure nurse’s safety.

These interventions include:

• Person-focused

• Organization-focused

Person-FocusStress management programs

• Nurses control a stressful situation

• Nurses get educated regarding stress and health

• Person-focus program teaches nurses skills to recognize and cope with stress.

Organization-FocusBy using this method, the goal of an organization is to remove stressful working conditions.

Some interventions include:

• Organizations redesign jobs and their descriptions

• Make nurses and management committees

• Improve nurses involvement and participation in creating decisions

• Their goal is to focus on nurse to patient ratios, modifying working hours, providing breaks, and a balance assignment.

Conclusion

It is well known that nursing is a very challenging career. It is the nurses’s choice to recognize early signs of stress in order to prevent unhealthy adoptive behaviors.

ReferencesBurke, M. (2013). Managing work-related stress in the district nursing workplace. British Journal of

Community Nursing, 18(11), 535-8.

Donovan, R., Doody, O., & Lyons, R. (2013). The effect of stress on health and its implications for nursing.

British Journal of Nursing, 22(16), 969-73.

Happell, B., Dwyer, T., Reid-Searl, K., Burke, K. J., Caperchione, C. M., & Gaskin, C. J. (2013). Nurses

and stress: recognizing causes and seeking solutions. Journal of Nursing Management, 21(4), 638-47. doi:

http://dx.doi.org.ju.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/jonm.12037

Roberts, R., & Grubb, P. L. (2014). The consequences of nursing stress and need for integrated solutions.

Rehabilitation Nursing, 39(2), 62-9. Doi: http://dx.doi.org.ju.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/rnj.97

Stressed Out Nurse Oval Ornament by Scott64. Retrieved 5/8/15 from www.cafepress.com

Stress Symbol. Retrieved May 15, 2015 from sixtipstobuldresilienceandpreventbrain-

damaging-stress.

WWII Smoking Nurses. Retrieved May 15, from weheartit.com/entry/group/11353599