Level of stress among nurses and their adopted coping strategies

Abstract

Objectives: This study was aimed at identifying the nurse’s level of stress and the coping mechanism adopted by them. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was done to assess the level of stress and the coping strategies adopted by the nurses in a secondary hospital in North East India, Nagaland. A total enumerative sampling technique was used to select 94 samples for the study. The Nursing stress scale (NSS) by Gray‑Toft and Anderson 1981 was used to assess stress, and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire was used. Results: Of 94 samples, 68 (72.34%) had a mild level of stress, 25 (26.59%) had a moderate level of stress, and only 1 (0.06%) had a severe level of stress. Thirty‑one (32.97%) used minimal coping strategies, and 63 (67.02%) used moderate coping strategies. There was no significant association between the stress level and selected demographic variables such as age, marital status, and years of experience (all P > 0.05). A significant association was found between the stresses of nurses and qualification of nurses (χ2 = 4.10, P = 0.04). Conclusion: The study reveals that most nurses had mild levels of stress. Most nurses use moderate coping strategies to relieve their stressors at work. Thus, there is a need to emphasize the importance of using effective coping strategies for nurses to alleviate their stresses and anxiety in their workplace and even in their personal lives.