Work Stress and Coping Pattern among Nursing Academic Staff

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing – Ain Shams University

Abstract

Work stress has become a serious and growing problem among academic staff with several
deleterious consequences. Aim of the study was to assess the work stress and coping patterns
among nursing academic staff through: identifying sources, level and manifestations of stress
among them, and their coping patterns which they used. Methodology The study was conducted
on a group of one hundred and three academic staff who are working at faculty of nursing of Ain
Shams University with different positions and departments. Data were collected through
interview questionnaire sheet used to assess sources and manifestation of stress among nursing
academic staff and their coping patterns. Results of this study revealed that half of academic
staff suffer from high stress. Also, more than two thirds of them suffer from moderate stress from
work environment followed by workload and stress from students. Two thirds of them had
symptoms of stress which may be intellectual, physical, behavioral and emotional. But the most
prevalent one among them was the emotional symptoms. academic staff used coping patterns
such as setting limits of work, seeking advice and support from others, relaxation & suppression
of feeling. Conclusion Half of studied subjects suffer from high stress. Two thirds of them had
moderate level of stress manifestation .The study recommended that the encouragement for
developing stress management programs and coping strategies that can be made within the faculty
of nursing that will reduce work-related stress among academic staff

Keywords