P146 Int-so project: stress among nurses

Background Healthy workplaces campaign from EU-OSHA (2014) refers that job stress occurs when job demands exceed worker’s ability to react, being stress one of the most serious consequences of a negative working environment. Nurses are exposed to several job stressors that can adversely affect their mental/physical health. Studies showed that nurses present a higher risk than other professionals to develop emotional distress elicited by job tasks (Borges & Rodrigues, 2015). Aims To describe the international project INT-SO and to present preliminary results of stress among nurses on Portuguese context. Method Cross-sectional study, included in the INT-SO project, an international study about occupational health of nursing professionals, developed on Portugal, Brazil and Spain. Portuguese version of NSS (Grey-Troft & Andreson, 1991; Santos, 2010) and a demographic questionnaire were applied anonymously to 290 nurses (72% female, mean age = 35.4 years, mean job experience = 11.9 years, 63% working by shifts and 72% in hospitals). Results Results revealed moderate stress level, considering dimensions of Nursing Stress Scale. The work overload was the dimension as the most stressful (M = 11.67 on a 0–3 points scale) followed by the dimension deal with death and dying (M = 1.38) and the dimension uncertainty regarding the treatments (M = 1.20). Conflict with nurses, and lack of support were both the dimensions perceived as least stressful (M = 1.0). Globally, physical environment was most stressful while social and psychological environment were lest stressful. Some significant differences were found, varying according sex, job contract, shifts and workplace. Conclusions Results supports other studies (EU-OSHA, 2013, 2014; Borges Ferreira, 2015; Kamisa et al., 2015) and INT-SO project tries to contribute to healthy workplaces, understanding nursing stress factors, expected to be the same on Portugal, Spain and Brasil, since nurses as caregivers seems to cope with same job demands. Moreover they alert to for effective management of psychosocial risks, particularly through the implementation of management programmes of work-related stress.