[Evaluation of stress and human potential in the organization of nursing work]

Recent specialized literature about nursing highlighted the causal link among stress, burnout and coping processes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of specific instruments designed to select and manage professional nurses. The instruments studied were: Nurse Stress Index (NSI, Harris, 1989), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI, Maslach & Jackson, 1986); Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS, Endler & Parker, 1990); Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ, Karasek, 1986); and Frequency of Self Reinforcement Questionnaire (FSRQ, Heiby, 1982). 100 professional nurses working in an Institute of Care and Research completed the test battery. Data analysis showed a positive correlation among stress, burnout, emotion-oriented coping, psychophysiological overload and self-undervalue. Classification criteria such as age, sex and professional division moreover highlighted significant differences among nurses. The battery resulted reliable and sensitive in discriminating the different problems linked to nursing and in identifying subjects' personal resources.