Coping strategies used by the nursing staff of an adult ICU in stress situations

Abstract

Introduction: For health professionals, to deal with stressful situations, such as the imminence of death of their patients, seems to be one of the greatest difficulties experienced in the workplace. In these situations, each person makes use of their own strategies in order to cope with stressful situations, which are determined by the environment and the personality traits. Objective: To identify the coping strategies used by nursing professionals of an adult ICU while facing stressful situations inherent to their profession. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study in which the COPE Inventory was applied in thirty-eight nursing technicians and/or nurses. The data were analyzed using descriptive techniques. Results: The coping strategies most frequently used were those related to the proactive capacity of the subject (positive reinterpretation, active coping and seeking for social support) and the less used were those related to emotions (focus on emotions and mood). Conclusion: Considering the sample studied, the professionals used strategies that precede the difficulties inherent to their daily practice, isolating the most irrelevant aspects of the stressors and focusing the attention in the outcome of their actions, allowing a better perception of their work and a sense of professional achievement.