Work-Related Stressors and Coping Strategies of Nurses in a Selected Tertiary Hospital in a City in the Philippines

Abstract

Background: Nurses may experience stress at work due to reasons like job overload, lack of sleep, a feeling of lack of support, and many more. Therefore, nurses must have coping strategies in place to provide all patients with the best possible care. The aim of this study is to determine the significant relationship between work-related stressors and the coping strategies of the nurses in a selected tertiary hospital in Bulacan by identifying their profile variables, their work-related stressors, and their coping strategies. Methods: Adapted survey questionnaires were answered by 206 nurses working in different areas of the Bulacan Medical Center in a self-administered manner, and 166 data points were suitable for data analysis. Nurses have diverse profiles. The data obtained were analyzed using different statistical treatments – percentage, weighted mean, one-way ANOVA t- test, and Pearson r to yield the needed results for the study. Results: Work-related stressors (F=3.571, p<.001, & η^2=.263) and coping strategies (F=3.938, p<.001, η^2=.283) have significant differences in their area of duty. As for their work-related stressors, it is evident that nurses perceive external stressors to be slightly more significant (M = 2.58) than internal stressors (M = 2.49). For coping, nurses often employ problem-focused strategies (M = 3.04) to deal with stressors in their work environment than emotional coping strategies (M = 2.68). With regards to the correlation between work-related stressors and coping strategies, there is a moderate positive correlation between the two (r=.521, p<.001). Conclusion: The findings of the study confirmed the presence of both external and internal work-related stressors among nurses. External stressors such as workload, conflicts at work, and dealing with difficult patients and their families were identified as significant sources of stress. Internal factors, including high expectations, feelings of inadequacy, and negative emotions during task performance, were also found to contribute to nurses' stress levels. This study confirmed that age, civil status, length of service, sex, and employment status did not significantly influence nurses' experiences of work-related stress or their choice of coping strategies. The result of this study concludes that work-related stressors and coping strategies are impacted by their area of assignment. Nurses working in critical care units, such as emergency rooms and intensive care units, experienced higher levels of stress compared to those in other areas. Nurses who experienced higher levels of work-related stress were more likely to employ coping strategies to manage and regulate stressful events. In light of this, it also concludes that work-related stressors and coping strategies of the nurses in Bulacan Medical Center are correlated with each other. In line with the significant correlation between work-related stressors and the coping strategies of nurses, it can be concluded that in the nursing profession, resiliency is prevalent even in stressful situations. Additionally, in this study, it was also highlighted that nurses employ problem-focused coping more than emotion-focused coping. This also implies how nurses in a clinical setting are more likely to be self-composed for them to formulate an organized and planned action in the presence of conflict.