Abstract
Introduction: Due to the
adverse effects of job stress on health of nurses and the importance of coping
process of nurses in management of job stress, the present study was carried
out with the aim of exploring the experiences of the nurses in order to reveal
the original coping process of the nurses in the case of encountering
occupational stress.
Methods: This qualitative study was conducted with
grounded theory approach. Research participants were 15 clinical nurses and four directors of nursing. Sampling
method of study were purposive and theoretical sampling. Data collection done
with unstructured interviews and field notes and continued until data
saturation. Data analysis was performed using the Strauss and Corbin 1998
constant comparative method.
Results: The
results of the analysis led to four axial concepts: “feeling stress at nursing
work”, “situational coping”, “and the effect of
personal and environmental factors in coping with job stress” and “Grey outcome
of coping”. The core variable in the nurse’s process of coping with
job stress was “comprehensive effort to calm stressed
condition”.
Conclusion: Explaining the basic and original psychosocial
process of nurses to cope with job stress, revealed context-based nature of the
coping processes that nurses adopt, which
that can help in taking appropriate measures to lighten up the grey consequences
of coping of nurses.