Abstract
BackgroundThe nursing profession is associated with constant presence of difficult situations and stress, which arise from responsibility for the highest values – human life and health. With demographic changes in the society, the demand for nursing care increases. Looking after the health of nursing staff becomes a non-material investment in employees. One of the most important health potentials described in literature is the sense of coherence. It can significantly contribute to maintaining good health, modify one’s functioning in a stressful working environment and influence the choice of strategies for coping with stress.AimThe aim of the study was to describe the specific relationship between the sense of coherence and strategies for coping with stress in a group of professionally active nurses.Methodology and methodsThe study involved 91 nurses in central Poland, aged 22–52. The group was diversified in terms of: education, work system, marital status and place of residence. The study was conducted with the use of: Sense of Coherence Questionnaire SOC-29 and Inventory to Measure Coping Strategies with Stress - Mini-COPE. The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of scientific research set out in the Helsinki Declaration.ResultsThe sense of coherence value in the test group was M = 134.24 (SD = 19.55). In stressful situations nurses most often used active strategies to cope with stress: Planning M = 2.10 (SD = 0.54), Seeking Emotional Social Support M = 1.95 (SD = 0.68) and Seeking Instrumental Social Support M = 1.95 (SD = 0.69), and the least frequently: Alcohol/Drug Use M = 0.28 (SD = 0.48). The level of the sense of coherence and its components differentiated the strategies of coping with stress used in the examined group of nurses.ConclusionsThe research confirmed that the sense of coherence serves as a health potential in a stressful working environment - a high sense of coherence translate into better mental health, correct functioning in the working environment, and using adaptive strategies of coping with stress. Nurses with a stronger sense of coherence used more adaptive strategies to deal with stress than those with average or low levels.
Highlights
The nursing profession is associated with constant presence of difficult situations and stress, which arise from responsibility for the highest values – human life and health
The research confirmed that the sense of coherence serves as a health potential in a stressful working environment - a high sense of coherence translate into better mental health, correct functioning in the working environment, and using adaptive strategies of coping with stress
Nurses with a stronger sense of coherence used more adaptive strategies to deal with stress than those with average or low levels
Summary
The nursing profession is associated with constant presence of difficult situations and stress, which arise from responsibility for the highest values – human life and health. Twenty-first century nurses face challenges such as different job opportunities, nurse shortages, negative effectiveness, workload concerns, system change, and increasing complexity of clinical practices In these situations, they must be able to respond in a timely, effective, creative and flexible manner [4]. Nurses are the largest medical professional group They are individuals with higher education degrees, who make their own decisions concerning the care administered to patients and who provide a wide range of health services. They carry out their everyday tasks in continuous contact with other people, which is linked to holding responsibility for the highest values: human life and health. Apart from the duties performed, more expectations are set by their superiors, other members of the therapeutic team, as well as patients and their relatives
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