Prevalence, Predictors and Coping Strategies of Stress among Nurses Working in the Emergency Rooms at Three Secondary Hospitals in Oman

Abstract

The emergency room (ER) is a difficult setting where having a confident and skilled nurse is crucial. The idea that emergency room staff, in particular, are vulnerable to high-stress circumstances is gaining momentum. It was identified that nurses who experience stress at work may struggle to manage the demands of their profession and may even experience health problems. This study set out to find possible strategies for emergency room nurses to manage the pressures they work under. To collect the data, a quantitative cross-sectional design was utilized with the non-probability purposive sampling method. Institutional ethical approval was obtained. All emergency nurses were included in the study, with the exception of interns and those who had prior experience with coping mechanisms. Data for the study were gathered using the Expanded Nurses Stress Scale (ENSS) and the Jalowiec Coping Scale (JCS). According to the study, stress was indicated by 53.75% of nurses who worked in emergency rooms at three different hospitals. Among the most stressful elements are the workload, interacting with patients and their families, and running into issues with superiors. The coping mechanisms that were most frequently employed were taking on an objective viewpoint, practicing relaxation, and engaging in religious activities. A significant relationship was observed between nurses' stress levels and their current job positions. This study demonstrated that research involving all secondary hospitals in Oman is required in order to identify the many factors of stress among emergency room nurses.