Assessment of Work Related Stress and Coping Strategies Among Nurses in Some Selected Hospitals in Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess work related stress and coping strategies among nurses in some selected hospitals in Maiduguri, Borno Btate, Nigeria. This study adopted cross-sectional research design. The population of this study was 2367, while 743 nurses in some selected hospitals in Maiduguri, Borno State were selected as sample size. Two difference instrument was used to collect data. The first measuring instrument used for data collection was adapted and modified named Occupational Stress Rating Scale (OSRS) which was adapted. The internal consistency or reliability of the original version of OSRS was 0.93. Some items of the instrument were modified, and the response mode were modified to 4-point likert scale. The third questionnaire was the Brief Coping Stress Inventory Instrument (BCSII) which was also adapted and modified. It has internal consistency of (α = .77 to .88). The response mode was on 4-point likert scale. Test-retest was used to determine the reliability of the instrument among 20 selected teachers from the school that was excluded from the study. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) was used to establish their reliability coefficients which yielded r= 0.84 which adjudge the instrument reliable. The result indicated that work related stress among nurses in Maiduguri is high, this is because the Mean of most of the item exceeded the midpoint threshold of 2.5. The result of the analysis also indicates that problem-focused coping and emotional-focused coping are the frequently used coping strategies by the nurses. The result revealed that there is significant difference in works related stress among nurses in Maiduguri based on gender (P<0.05). It was concluded that nurses in the selected hospital Maiduguri, Borno State had high level of works related stress in every dimension. It was then recommendation that programme like stress management strategies should be organized in order to prevent negative outcomes.