Correlates to Work-Related Stress of Newly-graduated Nurses in Critical Care Units.

Background. Nurses in critical care units were found to have severe symptoms of work-related stress, with the newly-graduated nurses in critical care units found to have higher prevalence of work-related stress symptoms compared to experienced nurses. Objectives. To explore the causes of work-related stress among newly-graduated nurses in critical care units. Method. This study used a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional design, using self-reported questionnaires. A total of 220 participants were conveniently recruited. Results. Participants reported high level of work-related stress. While the highest mean score was reported for "workload "(M= 2.6/3, SD= 0.3), the lowest mean score was reported for "relationships and conflict" (M= 1.2/3, SD= 0.7). Many significant differences were noticed in the work-related stress based on participants' demographics. Discussion. This study underlines the significance of developing nursing policies concerning stress relief aiming at improving nursing caring performance. Providing training courses for nurses on effective response to stressful work situations is highly recommended during their orientation period, which may be helpful to prevent the negative consequences of stress on the newly-graduated nurses in the critical care units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]