Paper
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Stress and Coping in Nurse Managers: Translating Research into Practice
Maria R. Shirey, PhD, (c), MBA, RN, CNAA, BC, FACHE, Shirey & Associates, Evansville, IN, USA
| Learning Objective #1: describe sources of stress in nurse manager work. |
| Learning Objective #2: discuss the decision-making processes nurse managers utilize to address stressful situations in their roles. |
Purpose:
The purpose of this pilot study was to obtain a first hand qualitative description of nurse manager stress and coping experiences. This presentation discusses the study findings and identifies ways to translate research into practice.
Theoretical Framework:
The transaction-based view of stress informed the investigator’s conceptual outlook of stress and coping.
Methods:
A qualitative descriptive study was conducted to answer the research questions: What situations contribute to stress in today’s nurse managers? What decision-making
processes do nurse managers utilize to address stressful situations in their roles? A convenience sample of five experienced nurse managers employed at a large U.S.
acute care hospital participated in the study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and a structured face-to-face interview consisting of five open-ended questions incorporating components of the Critical Decision Method (CDM), a retrospective interview strategy with cognitive probes that focuses on non-routine,
difficult situations.
Results:
The unpredictable and invisible nature of nurse manager work combined with interpersonal conflicts in the workplace contributed to perceptions of stress in the role.
Unpredictability had to do with complexity and perceived lack of control over the role and the work environment. Interpersonal conflicts related primarily to differences in values and leadership styles as well as perceptions of limited or absent social support systems at work. The decision-making processes nurse managers used to address stressful situations in their roles involved attention to environmental cues, tapping into personal experiences or attributes, and stacking or compartmentalizing competing priorities. The study also generated eight themes amenable to potential intervention.
Conclusions:
Performance expectations for nurse managers practicing in today’s acute care settings may be unrealistic. These expectations are increasing nurse manager perceptions of stress, making coping more difficult, and potentially harming nurse manager and work environment well-being. Findings from this study have significant implications for nursing research, practice, and policy.