Reducing Nurses’ Stress: A Web-Based Management Program

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Introduction

The title of the article being evaluated is “Reducing nurses’ stress: A randomized controlled trial of a web-based stress management program for nurses.” The title of this primary source accurately depicts the key variable, which is the level of nurses’ stress and mentions the possible solution to this issue – the introduction of a special computer program. The abstract is well structured and has concisely summarized the main features of the study. Besides, it involves a brief overview of the addressed problem.

Research Problem

The problem of this study is very clearly stated and is easily identified. It is concluded in the abstract that “nursing is a notoriously high-stress occupation” (Hersch et al., 2016, p.18). Chronic exposure to stress and can have a negative influence on nurses’ health, their decision-making processes and potentially threaten patient and organizational outcomes (Van Bogaert et al., 2014). The study demonstrates that a web-based program may be an efficient way to reduce the level of stress among nurses.

Research Purpose

This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of a web-based BREATHE: Stress Management for Nurses program. This software “was designed to provide nurses with the information and tools they need to manage the myriad of stressors that can impact their work life” (Hersch et al., 2016, p.19). The program processes feedback from nurses in focus groups and identifies stressors and the level of depression and anxiety. Thus, a pilot study was carried out to test this web-based stress management program to determine if it could help reduce the alleged stress associated with nursing.

Literature Review

In “Reducing nurses’ stress: A randomized controlled trial of a web-based stress management program for nurses”, the authors of the study use a large amount of literature, mainly on the topic of nursing. More than that, most of the articles and books address the problems, including psychological ones, which this medical staff constantly have to face. It can be concluded that the choice of literature fully meets the objectives of this study, and allows studying the risen issue from different perspectives.

Framework and hypothesis

Key concepts are accurately identified and describe the importance of addressing nurses’ stress management and necessary measures. Frameworks include behavioral and psychological studies and theories, which they are based on. The concepts developed in the research assist in shaping a scientific understanding of stress control with the help of the special web-based program. It was hypothesized that participants of an experimental group who used this program “would experience greater reductions in nursing related stress when compared to participants in the wait-list control condition” (Hersch et al., 2016,p.19). Another hypothesis was that nurses of the pilot group would consume alcohol or use different substances to relieve stress less than the control group participants do.

Design and Variables

The BREATHE: Stress Management for Nurses program was tested on nurses in five suburban hospitals in Virginia and one in New York City. The study was a randomized controlled experiment in which participants were randomly divided into two groups. This design is appropriate as it allowed to receive reliable results. It is worth mentioning that all the participants got access to the program when the trial ended. As for variables, various indicators were used to identify the correlations between them and stress (Galdikiene, Asikainen, Balciunas, &Suominen, 2014). The authors of the study chose gender, race, age, marital status, the highest level of nursing education, number of years in nursing, and at the current hospital, and work setting.

Procedures

Interested nurses were asked to complete the pre-test questionnaire, after which two groups were formed. The experimental group got a link to the BREATHE program, access to which participants had at any time during the three-month test period. The control group was told that they would use the program later. Three months after randomization, participants were sent the second questionnaire, and, after its completion, all of them received access to the software.

Validity, Efficacy and Ethical Issues

The results of this study can be considered credible, as they are based on an objective experiment. Moreover, the experts analyzed not only the data that nurses contributed to the program but also indicators such as the frequency and duration of use of it. In addition, the research confirmed its effectiveness, as changes in stress levels were observed due to the use of this software. As for the ethics of the study, all participants took part in it voluntarily, and they could refuse to answer some questions of questionnaires if they felt that it could harm them.

Cultural Aspects

Cultural aspects cannot be accurately identified in “Reducing nurses’ stress: A randomized controlled trial of a web-based stress management program for nurses.”

Sample

Nurses from five suburban hospitals in Virginia and one in New York City participated in the experimental group.

Results

Results of the provide evidence of the benefits of using a web-based program as “nurses who received access to the BREATHE program showed significant improvement in perceived nursing related stress” (Hersch et al., 2016, p.23). Moreover, researchers observed the decrease in the number of conflicts with other nurses and medical staff, and changes in the perception of inadequate preparation and workload. Thus, addressing the communication needs of nurses has been associated with the promotion of individual growth and work satisfaction (Wakim, 2014). That is why it is critical to encourage open communication and co-worker support in medical institutions.

Conclusion

Study findings indicate that the BREATHE Stress Management for Nurses can be effective in reducing nurses’ stress. Consequently, such web-based programs are an important intervention to help nurses in their daily work. The widespread introduction of such programs will improve the quality of medical services. Furthermore, they can be used in students’ nursing practice to help them understand how to cope with stress more effectively.

References

Galdikiene, N., Asikainen, P., Balciunas, S., & Suominen, T. (2014). Do nurses feel stressed? A perspective from primary health care. Nursing and Health Sciences, 16, 327-334.

Hersch, R. K., Cook, R. F., Deitz, D. K., Kaplan, S., Hughes, D., Friesen, M. A., & Vezins, M. (2016). Reducing nurses’ stress: A randomized controlled trial of a web-based stress management program for nurses. Applied Nursing Research, 32, 18-25.

Van Bogaert, P., Adriaenssens, J., Dilles, T., Martens, D., Van Rompaey, B., & Timmermans, O. (2014). Impact of role-, job- and organizational characteristics on nursing unit managers’ work related stress and well-being. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2622-2633.

Wakim, N. (2014). Occupational stressors, stress perception levels, and coping styles of medical surgical RNs: A generational perspective. Journal of Nursing Administration, 44(12), 632-639.

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