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Nurses' stress factors in the intensive care unit
The Journal of Nursing Administration
|February 1, 1979
Summary
Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses identified high physical workload, patient death, and communication issues as major stressors. Addressing these factors can improve the work environment for critical care nurses.
Area of Science:
- Nursing
- Critical Care Medicine
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Intensive care units (ICUs) present unique and demanding work environments.
- Nurses in ICUs face significant occupational stressors that can impact well-being and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and rank the primary sources of stress perceived by intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.
- To inform interventions aimed at reducing occupational stress in critical care settings.
Main Methods:
- A study was conducted to identify stressful situations within the ICU.
- Intensive care unit nurses were surveyed to rank the identified stressful situations in order of perceived stress level.
Main Results:
- The most highly stressful situations identified by ICU nurses included physical workload demands.
- Patient death and critical patient outcomes were significant stressors.
- Communication challenges with physicians and nursing administrators were also ranked as highly stressful.
Conclusions:
- Physical workload, patient mortality, and interpersonal communication issues are key stressors for ICU nurses.
- Nursing educators and administrators should implement strategies to mitigate these identified stressors.
- Targeted interventions can potentially improve the work environment and reduce burnout among critical care nursing staff.