Hardiness, stress, and coping strategies among mid-level nurse managers: Implications for continuing higher education.

This study investigated relationships among hardiness, stress, and coping strategies among mid-level nurse managers in hospitals. Coping strategies were hypothesized to be positively related to stress. In addition, hardiness and its components were hypothesized to be positively related to stress and coping strategies. Demographics were hypothesized to be unrelated to stress, hardiness, and coping strategies. Both hardiness and coping strategies were hypothesized to be predictors of stress. Pearson correlation coefficients, multiple regression, and linear regression were used in data analysis. Stress was associated with specific coping strategies viz., confrontation, selfcontrolling, accepting responsibility, and escape-avoidance. High hardiness, particularly commitment and challenge, was associated with low levels of stress and with problemfocused coping strategies. By contrast, low hardiness was associated with high stress and use of emotion-focused strategies. Significant demographics, when compared to study variables, included age, experience, time with supervisors, number of direct reports, highest degrees obtained, and formal or informal higher education in management. Young nurse managers who were less experienced in nursing and management, and who had fewer direct reports, reported the highest stress levels among nurse managers. High hardiness, particularly commitment, was a strong predictor of low levels of stress; use of escape-avoidance was a significant predictor of occupational stress. This study supported the theoretical suppositions of lower stress if hardiness and specific coping strategies are high among mid-level nurse managers. Potential exists for work-related stress to be reduced by increasing hardiness and adaptive coping strategies. Implications for higher education research and practice are discussed.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2001

Author dc:creator

• Judkins, Sharon Kay

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lumsden, D. Barry
• Bavon, Al
• Newsom, Ronald W.

• Nurse administrators -- Psychology.
• Resilience (Personality trait)
• Adjustment (Psychology)
• Stress (Psychology)
• hardiness
• coping
• stress
• nurse manager
• higher education

Statement dc:rights

• Public
• Copyright
• udkins, Sharon Kay
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 50632130
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2799/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc2799

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc2799