Dr.

Samta Soni
GCON Jaipur
soni.samta@rediffmail.com
NURSE’S NEW EPIDEMIC : STRESS
 WHAT IS STRESS

• Occupational stress can be defined as the

physiological and emotional responses that occur
when workers perceive an imbalance between their
work demands and their capability and/or resources
to meet these demands.
• Unexpected Numbers Of Patients At Any Time
• Unexpected Rapid Changes In Patients’
Situations And Response
• Distressing Incidents Such As Sudden Death,
Patient Violence, Inappropriate Attendees
• Physical Or Verbal Abuse On A Daily Basis
 SOURCES

Interpersonal
Work load Interactions

Organizational
Professionalism
Pressure
 WORK LOAD
• Work Load,
• Shift Work,
• Overtime,
• And Covering For Absent Colleagues
 ORGANIZATIONAL PRESSURE
• Perceived Lack Of Organizational Support,
• Lack Of Resources,
• Lack Of Autonomy,
• Lack Of Competence And Confidence,
• Lack Of Communication And Guidance Apart From Low
Salaries
• Absence Of Reward Systems
• Personal Responsibility,
• Lack Of Consultation,
• Lack Of Materials Or Resources,
• Inadequate Manpower, And
• Having To Take Risks To Complete Tasks
• Working With Different Patients,
• The Nurses’ Feelings About Life,
• Interpersonal Conflicts,
• Managing The Patients’ Pain And The Presence
Of The Family
 ENVIRONMETAL STRESSORS
• Enclosed Atmosphere,
• Time,
• Pressures,
• Excessive Noise,
• Sudden Swings From Intense To Mundane Tasks,
• No Second Chance,
• Unpleasant Sights,
• Sounds And Long Standing Hours
• Poor health
• Injury
• Reduce the enjoyment in life
• Hypertension
• Cardiac problems
• Reduce immunity
• Contribute to substance abuse
• Frustration
• Irritability
 STRATEGIES
• Sharing Their Grievances And Feelings With Peers, Work Group
And Subordinates.
• Periodical Training,
• Counseling,
• Reschedule The Work,
• Flexible Working Hours,
• Family Care Plans, Holidays With Salary, Special Trips,
• Establishing Relaxation Centers
 RISK ASSESSMENT

• 1. Recognition that nurses are experiencing stress through

work.
• 2. Analysis of potentially stressful situations confronting
nurses,
• 3. Estimation and evaluation of the risk to nurses’ health
associated with exposure to those hazards through the
experience of stress
 RISK MANAGEMENT
• 4. Design of reasonable and practicable stress management
strategies.
• 5. Implementation of those strategies.
• 6. Monitoring and evaluation of the effects of those
strategies
• 7. feeding back into a reassessment of the whole process
• Conduction of workshops in-service education programme
= confidence
• Refresher courses for new nurses =get oriented
• Recruitment of specialty nurses in specialty areas =more
independence.
• Providing work as per interest of the person =quality work
 COMMON STRETEGIES

• Learn how to say “no”

• Avoid people who stress you out
• Take control of your environment
• Avoid hot-button topics
 ALTER THE SITUATION

• Express your feelings instead of bottling them

up
• Be willing to compromise
• Be more assertive
• Manage your time better
 ADOPT TO THE
STRESSOR
• Reframe problems
• Look at the big picture
• Adjust your standards
• Focus on the positive
 ACCEPT THE THINGS YOU CANNOT
CHANGE
• Don’t try to control the uncontrollable
• Look for the upside
• Share your feelings
• Learn to forgive
• Appreciating good work done by individual in terms of words,
awards, wishes etc.
• Providing challengeable work by recognizing capacity and ability of
each individual so that they can remain active all the time at work
site.
• Promoting leadership qualities among nurses and providing them
opportunities to lead small projects in work settings.
• Promoting team spirit among nurses.
• Providing opportunity to nurses to tryout their new ideas and
creates something different from traditional methods of patient care
• Recognizing good work done by the individual nurse and appreciate.
• Involving all the nurses in decision making process may be even for small
task.
• Improving interpersonal relationship among supervisors and staff
nurses.
• Organizing training programs for supervisors in field of administration.
• Providing variety in work of each individual.
• Improving safe and secure environment at hospital