A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Structured Teaching Programme on Knowledge Regarding Stress and its Management among Staff Nurses Working in Selected Hospitals, Bangalore

Abstract

Background: Job stress can be defined as negative emotive and physical responses and occurs when the job requirements do not match with abilities, resources or needs of employees. In other words, it can be defined as an interaction between job environment and characteristics of employee, the extra job requirements and following pressures which make the person disable in doing his job. Also, job stress can cause lack of health and even hurting people. Psychological factors, in addition to physical, chemical and biological risks at the job environment are the main threatening factors and job stress is very important among psychological disorders. United Nation (UN) in 1992 declared that job stress is the disease of 20th century and later, World Health Organization stated that it is epidemic. The International Organization of Labor figured that the damage occurred by job stress, about 1–3.5% of national gross production. In different researches it has become clear that about 30% of labors of developed countries have job stress disorder. In addition, we can also say that job stress is one of the main factors that can decline work rate of organizations and develop physical and psychological problems efficiency. Today, the stress caused by job among common people, health and education experts and other people which are responsible for aiding and helping people (including nurses) is very common and is on the top of the issues. People who are in health professions, because of being responsible for the health of others are under the pressure of different causes of stress. Nursing is one the stressful professions. The stressful components in this job have affected nurses in a serious way. With this regard, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after studying about health disorders in stressful jobs has declared that among 130 studied jobs, nurses in visiting doctor about their mental condition are at 27th place. Like patients, nurses experience stress too, and some of them cannot adopt themselves with the present stress. According to estimations in 1997 in USA, the average of absences because of vigorous stress is about 4 times more than other nonprofessional loss and professional disorders. For nurses and their organization, job stress is exorbitant, and its side effects become clear in the form of exhaustion, rudeness, anxiety, hypertension, lack of self-confidence, lack of job satisfaction, and decrease in efficiency. According to the studies, stress in nurses can cause depression, isolation from patients, absence and decrease of their qualification. Here, many references are mentioned for the cause of job stress; Bailey mentioned work load, care about patients, interpersonal with colleagues, knowledge, skill and tasks of nurses and policies as stressors for nurses. Other studies have mentioned workload, roles and services in units with high work load as sources of job stress in nurses. Also, Copper and Sutherland have mentioned that relation with mangers and co-workers, noises, light and turns as effective factors on job stress of nurses and other health professionals. By considering the importance of keeping nurses as humans in the first level and health experts that provide and maintain health of the people in the second level, inevitable stress factors in nursing and the necessity of preventing the psychological and behavioral effects of stress, this study was performed to determine the stress factors in nurses. Objectives of the Study: (1) To assess the existing knowledge of stress, and its management among the staff nurses. (2) To evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on knowledge regarding stress and its management among staff nurses. (3) To find out association between the pre and post-test knowledge score of staff nurses with their selected socio-demographic variables. Methods: Quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching module on knowledge and practice regarding stress and its management among staff nurses. The study was conducted in Manipal Hospital, Bangalore. The sample consisted of 60 staff nurses. Simple random sampling technique was adapted to select subjects. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Major Findings of the Study: (1) Majority of respondents 24 (40%) belongs to the age groups of 31–45 years followed by 21(35%) noticed in the age group of 21–30 years and 15(25%) belongs to 46–55 years of age. (2) Most of the respondents 53 (88.3%) were females, and 7(11.7%) were males. (3) Most of the respondents were married 57(95%), and 3(5%) were unmarried. (4) Most of the respondent’s education was 41 (68.3%) B.Sc. nursing, and 19(31.7%) GNM. (5) Most of the respondents has children number two 49 (81.7%), following by one 5 (8.3%), 3 (5%) and 3 (5%) had no children. (6) Most of the respondent’s life style was moderate 60(100.0%). (7) Most of the respondents 60 (100%) belongs to India. (8) Most of the respondents 39 (65.0%) had income in the range of 20,000–29,000 per month, 21 (35.0%) had income in the range of 10,000–19,000 per month. (9) Most of the respondents worked in OT 17 (28.3%), surgical ward 15 (25%), medical ward 10(16.7%), CCU 9 (15%), NICU 9(15%). (10) Most of the respondents duration of work was 7 hours 46 (76.7%), and 8 hours 14(23.3%). (11) Most of the respondents had experience 8–14 years 26 (43.3%), followed by 1–7 years 20 (33.3%), 15–24 years 14(23.4%). Interpretation and Conclusion: Findings of the study show that there was significant increase in the knowledge regarding stress and its management among the staff nurses after administering of structured teaching programme. From this it can be concluded that structured teaching programme on stress and its management is an effective tool in increasing knowledge.