An organizational culture that optimizes stress: acceptable stress in nursing

Stressors intrinsically associated with nursing provide a desirable moderate level of stress leading to high job performance. More (or less) stress would likely lead to a drop-off in performance. A large, urban hospital's organization has been designed to minimize further stress arising from its organizational culture. Its dominant values are responsibility, high quality nursing, collaboration, supportiveness, caring, autonomy, clinical development, and professionalism. Expressed in Jungian terms, the organization embodies Great Mother, Anima, Wise Old Man, and Anima archetypes. Nurse executives and administrators who understand the effects of organizational culture on stress may help their institutions operate in stress's healthy midrange.