Journal of Education and Health Promotion

Survey of stress and coping strategies to predict the general health of nursing staff

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

. Nazila Javadi‑Pashaki 1
. Azar Darvishpour 2

1 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran Department of Medical-Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

2 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran Department of Nursing, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nurses are often faced with the variety of work‑related stress which could affect
their physical and mental health. Coping strategies play an important role in reducing stress and
consequently increasing the health and well‑being. This study was conducted to investigate the role
of stress and coping strategies to predict the general health of nursing staff.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: An analytical cross‑sectional design was carried out on 318 nurses
working in governmental health centers of Guilan University of Medical Sciences, the North of Iran, in
2017. Data were collected through multistage cluster sampling using self‑report questionnaires and
demographic characteristics. The study instruments included Hospital Job Stress, Coping Strategies,
and General Health Questionnaires. For analysis of data, descriptive statistics and regression test
were applied using SPSS software version 19.
RESULTS: The results revealed that the highest mean score (47.71 ± 7.88) of different dimensions of
coping strategies was related to task‑oriented strategy. Furthermore, the results indicated that stress
and coping strategies together could explain around 2.5% of variance of general health (ΔR2 = 0.025).
However, based on the statistically significant level, the results revealed the coping strategies as the
predictor of general health (P = 0.002, beta = 0.094).
CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of considering coping strategies for predicting
general health in nurses. Regarding the inevitability of some stressors in the nursing profession and
the need to prevent stressful effects, workshops as an effective training method to reduce staff stress
should be on the agenda of managers.

Keywords

Coping strategies
health
nursing
stress
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Journal of Education and Health Promotion
Volume 9, Issue 4
April 2019
Pages 1-6

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