Child Health Nurs Res.  2018 Oct;24(4):475-483. 10.4094/chnr.2018.24.4.475.

Stress due to End-of-Life Care, Coping Strategies, and Psychological Well-being among Nurses in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

• Kwon EH
• Ju HO
• Jeung EO
• Han CH
• Im JJ
• Lee YR
• Jung MS
• Park SY

• KMID: 2435310
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4094/chnr.2018.24.4.475

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study aimed to identify stress levels due to end-of-life care, coping strategies, and psychological well-being among nurses in neonatal intensive care unit, and to investigate the effect of stress levels and coping strategies on their well-being.
METHODS
A total of 128 nurses in the neonatal intensive care units of general hospitals in B city participated. The data were collected using a self-report questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the t-test, ANOVA, the Pearson correlation coefficient, and hierarchical regression with SPSS version 22.0.
RESULTS
The coping strategy that nurses most often used was seeking social support. The factors affecting the well-being of the participants were wishful thinking, problem-focused coping and seeking social support, in order. Those 3 variables explained 21 % of the total variance in psychological well-being. Problem-focused coping and seeking social support were positively associated with psychological well-being, while wishful thinking showed a negative association.
CONCLUSION
In order to improve the psychological well-being of nurses in neonatal intensive care units, it is necessary to provide nurses with a program to build a social support system and to improve their problem-based coping skills.

Keyword

Psychological stress; Terminal care; Psychological adaptation; Neonatal nurses

MeSH Terms

Adaptation, Psychological
Hospitals, General
Infant, Newborn
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal*
Intensive Care, Neonatal*
Stress, Psychological
Terminal Care
Thinking