In America and around the world being a nurse is a stressful job. Too much or continued stress can give rise to anxiety, fatigue and even ill health for the individual (Wright, 2014). Working in the nursing environment can expose employees to numerous stressful situations, demands, and pressures, causing a host of health, and safety problems not only for the nurse, but also for their patients. This is why it is important to identify, why nurses are becoming stressed, the consequences of these stressors, and how to effectively apply stress management strategies to reduce work related stress.
During the last 10 years there has been an increase in stress levels for hospital nursing staff. In 2012, a survey was conducted where 3000 nurses were
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This type of stress, if experienced for long periods can have a lasting effect on the body and mind to include hypertension, ulcers, depression or anxiety (Wright, 2014). In order to reduce the effects of stress, nurses should contemplate using an array of stress management strategies for the mind and body to include; Getting enough sleep, stress can make it hard to sleep, leading to more stress. It is important to have a solid sleep schedule and stick to it. Reach out and talk to family, friends or colleagues. Share what is going on in your life and get an outside perspective. Nurses should plan leisure activities to reward themselves, having something to look forward to can help reduce stress. Relaxation techniques, like meditation, yoga or tai chi can also help reduce the effects of stress. Nurses should also stay in good physical condition. Exercising regularly and having a fitness routine is an important factor in reducing stress. By utilizing these stress management techniques, nurses may find it easier to deal with potential stressors. Overall reducing stress, will lead to better patient care, and increased work satisfaction for the nurse (Wright,