Role stress of nurse practitioners

Joan's situation is illustrative of role stress experienced by many nurse practitioners, especially those working in complex medical organizations. Role stress is inherent among nurse practitioners because of the newness and broad definition of their roles. Implementation of the role is frequently left up to individual practitioners, physicians and employing institutions and may vary from setting to setting. This lack of consensus regarding role expectations can produce dire consequences for both the individual and the organization if left unresolved. Thus, assessment of the sources of role stress can be useful because many stressors can be eliminated or minimized with proper strategies. Elimination of the role stressors has potential for increasing job satisfaction, productivity and perception of health among nurse practitioners. Since much of a practitioner's time is spent alleviating stressors from the lives of patients for improved health and well-being, it seems appropriate for nurse practitioners to practice this philosophy on themselves in their work setting.