Association between Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies among Nurses in Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Abstract Nurses are more susceptible to stress compared to other nurses and they are in need to use many coping strategies to help them to cope with stress. Aim: To investigate the association between perceived stress and coping strategies among nurses in intensive care units. Research Design: A descriptive research design was used in the current research. Setting: The study was applied in five intensive care units include the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), general at Sohag University Hospital, and the obstetric critical care unit, general and pediatric intensive care unit at South-Valley University Hospital. Subjects: A convenient sample was used in this research which included all the nurses in the previously mentioned setting (70 nurses). Tools for data collection: Tool I: Self-administered questionnaire. Tool II: Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) and Tool III: the Brief COPE Inventory. Results: The majority of the nurses reported a moderate stress level and one-quarter of them reported a severe level of stress. There was a highly statistically significant relationship between perceived stress and coping strategies in intensive care unit nurses. Conclusion: It was found that using a variety of coping strategies can be effective in reducing stress among nurses in intensive care units. Recommendation: Raising awareness and education of the nurses in intensive care units regarding coping strategies to help them cope with stress.