Survey of stress management content in baccalaureate nursing curricula

A survey of 276 National League for Nursing baccalaureate programs was conducted to assess the nature and extent of stress management content incorporated into baccalaureate nursing curricula. Roughly 10% of the sample indicated that they offer a separate course in general stress management techniques. In most programs, stress management content was incorporated throughout the curriculum in discreet instructional units. Respondents identified a variety of stress management methods taught in relationship to specific sources of work stress. The most instructional time was devoted to teaching students how to cope with interpersonal stressors; communication skills, group process skills, assertion skills, and conflict management were offered by most programs. Other content areas mentioned by at least 80% of the respondents included: death awareness, crisis intervention, change strategies, values clarification, recognizing stress, organizational skills, time management, and problem solving. The findings of this study are discussed in relationship to the literature on sources of stress in nursing. In addition, suggestions for future research are offered.