Learning Objective #1: Identify two ethnic differences in stress measures

Learning Objective #2: Identify eight ethnic differences in coping styles

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Increase in stress in the workplace has resulted not only in stress-disorders but job dissatisfaction, high turnover, absenteeism, and nurses leaving their profession. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to investigate stress and coping patterns in nurses who work in acute care settings; determine the role ethnicity and gender plays in health factors and retention issues; and to examine the role of demographic predictors of nurses leaving their job/profession. This descriptive study utilized Lazarus and Folkman's stress and coping model. The sample consisted of 479 nurses in acute care settings who were part of a larger multi-site study on role stress. There were 464 females and 33 males; 185 Caucasian, 216 Asian/Pacific Islander, and 92 “others” in the study. In addition to demographic data, the nurses completed the “Nursing Stress Scale,” (NSS) to identify workplace stressors; “Ways of Coping Questionnaire” to identifying coping mechanisms; and the “SF-36” to identify the physical and mental health of the nurses. Sixty-seven percent felt they were not at all likely to leave the nursing profession in the next year, 29% felt it was possible or likely, and 2% felt they were definitely likely to leave. There were no differences in ethnicity, gender or age regarding respondents' likelihood of leaving the nursing profession. Ethnic differences were significant for two of the NSS subscales. There were significant differences in all eight coping styles subscales between the Caucasian and API groups. The nursing shortage is a major health problem. The results suggest ethnic variation in perception of stress and coping mechanism for the groups studied. Knowledge of factors related to issues of retention is crucial for administrators as well as for the health care of the nation.