Stress management effort 'needed' among nurses

Surveys on stress levels among nurses showed that the issue was not being addressed, with similar trends being reflected in a number of different studies, Reggie Aquilina from the staff support group told a seminar on support strategies for nurses and midwives.

He said that the effects of stress on nurses could have disruptive effects. Two major sources of stress were patient care and interpersonal relationships. These were also the main sources of satisfaction.

The responsibility for stress management should be a joint effort between the individual and the organisation.

There were a number of ways to control stress among Maltese nurses: mainly removing extra beds, improved working conditions, early retirement schemes, a reduction in work overload and support staff.

Mr Aquilina said that a Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses survey among 300 people showed that 95 per cent of nurses felt they were working in a stressful situation.

A survey among nurses serving at St Luke's and Karen Grech hospitals which, unfortunately, only had a response rate of 34 per cent, showed that 91 per cent of respondents had felt tense or nervous during the past year.

Ninety-one per cent said their stress was due to occupational matters, nine per cent to personal issues.

Ninety-one per cent also attributed their stress to work overload and staff shortage, 46 per cent to team relations and communication, 32 per cent to working conditions, 14 per cent to problems with management, nine per cent to the nature of the work itself and seven per cent to change. Seventy-eight per cent did not seek professional help.

Mr Aquilina said surveys concluded that nurses felt the need to seek help but they felt they had nowhere to turn to.

He said that the support group started offering its service for staff St Luke's Hospital but would hopefully extend elsewhere.