Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies of Nurses Working in the Emergency Service During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Objective: This study aims to investigate the perceived stress and coping styles of the nurses working in the emergency service during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: The study population consisted of the nurses in the emergency service of the A Hospital, who met the research inclusion criteria between April 15th, 2021, and May 1st, 2021 (N:179). Without any sample selection, 156 nurses who agreed to participate voluntarily in the research were included in the study sample. Research data were collected using the survey program online, taking into account the COVID-19 conditions and the intensity of work in the emergency service. Permission of the Ministry of Health and approval of the ethics committee (no:B.30.2.ATA.0.01.00/) were obtained before conducting the study. Results: The Perceived Stress Scale scores of the nurses working in the emergency service were found to be above the average (avg.value:26). In addition, of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire sub-scales, the Optimistic Approach, Self-Confident Approach, Seeking Social Support Approach sub-scale scores were found to decrease with the increase in the Perceived Stress Scale scores, whereas the Helpless Approach and Submissive Approach sub-scale scores were found to increase significantly with increasing Perceived Stress Scale scores (p<0.05). In addition, the study suggests that there is a positive and significant relationship between the Perceived Stress Scale scores and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire scores of the nurses (p<0.05).Conclusions: The perceived stress level score of the emergency service nurses was found to be above average, and the Optimistic Approach, Self-Confident Approach, Seeking Social Support Approach sub-scale scores were found to decrease with the increase in the Perceived Stress Scale scores, but the Helpless Approach and Submissive Approach sub-scale scores were found to increase with increasing Perceived Stress Scale scores.

Keywords:

Nurse, COVID-19 Emergency Service, Coping with Stress,

PDF

___

1. Available from: URL: https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandemi access date: June 2022https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandemi access date: June 2022
2. Til UDA. What you need to know about the new coronavirus disease. Detail Magazine. 2020;8(85):54-56.
3. Lai J, Ma S, Wang Y, Cai Z, Hu J, Wei N, ve ark. Factors Associated with Mental Health Outcomes Among Health Care Workers Exposed to Coronavirus Disease. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2019;3(3).
4. Söyük S, Kurtuluş SA. Evaluation of the problems experienced in the emergency services from the eyes of the employees. Gumushane University Journal of Health Sciences. 2017;6(4):44-56.
5. Saquib N, Zaghloul MS, Saquib J, Alhomaidan HT, Al-Mohaimeed A, Al-Mazrou A. Association of cumulative job dissatisfaction with depression, anxiety and stress among expatriate nurses in Saudi Arabia. J Nurs Manag. 2019;27(4):740-748.
6. Cox RC, Olatunji BO. Sleep in the anxiety-related disorders: A meta-analysis of subjective and objective research. Sleep Med Rev. 2020;51:101282.
7. Kang L, Li Y, Hu S, Chen M, Yang C, Yang BX, et al. Mental health of healthcare workers dealing with the 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7(3):e14.
8. Ives J, Greenfield S, Parry JM, Draper H, Gratus C, Petts JI, et al. Healthcare workers' attitudes to working during pandemic influenza: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health. 2009;9(1):1-13.
9. Cohen S, Kamarck T, Melmerstein R. A Global Measure of Perceived Stress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior. 1983;24:385-396.
10. Baltaş Z, Atakuman Y, Duman Y. Standardization of the Perceived Stress Scale: Perceived Stress in Turkish Middle Managers, Stress and Anxiety Research Society, 19th International Conference: İstanbul. 1998
11. Folkman, S. and Lazarus, RS. If İt Changes, İt Must Be a Process: Study of Emotion and Coping During Three Stages of College Examination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1985;50:992–1003.
12. Şahin NH, Durak A. The scale of coping styles with stress: Adaptation for university students. Turkish Journal of Psychology. 1995;10(34):56-73.
13. Göksu Ö, Kumcağız H. Perceived stress level and anxiety levels in individuals in the Covid-19 Outbreak. Electronic Turkish Studies. 2020;15(4).
14. Aşkın A. Analysis of the relationship between the time of participation in leisure activities, perceived stress levels, and psychological resilience of healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses). Siyami Ersek Chest Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital example. Istanbul: Gelisim University Institute of Health Sciences. 2019.
15. Özdaş İ, Kızılkaya M. Stress sources perceived by emergency room nurses: A qualitative study. Journal of Health Academics. 2021;8(1):64-70.
16. Altıntaş N. Determination of violence against nurses working in health institutions, Istanbul: Istanbul University Institute of Health Sciences. 2006.
17. Ferreira JS, Ribeiro KV, Caromuru PS, Hanzelmann RS, Velasco AR, Passos JP. Stress and coping strategies in workers of nursing of a family health unit. Cuidado e Fundamental. 2017;9(3):818-823.
18. Avcı GG, Öztürk G, Azaklı N, Çekinmez ST. Determination of work-related tension levels and coping styles of nurses working in a private group hospital. Izmir Katip Celebi University Faculty of Health Sciences Journal. 2018;3(1):1-7.
19. Shigemura J, Ursano RJ, Morganstein JC, Kurosawa M, Benedek DM. Public responses to the novel 2019 coronavirus (2019-nCoV) In Japan: mental health consequences and target populations. Psychiatry And Clinical Neurosciences. 2020;74(4):281- 282.
20. Dündar Y. Sen Tanrı mısın? ISBN: 978-605-88309-8-1 Ankara, 2016.
21. Hatun O, Dicle AN, Demirci İ. Psychological reflections of the coronavirus epidemic and coping with it. Electronic Turkish Studies. 2020;15(4).
22. Bilge Y, Bilge Y. Investigation of the effects of the coronavirus epidemic and social isolation on psychological symptoms in terms of resilience and coping styles with stress. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 2020;23.