Njoroge Ruth Wanjiku INTERVENTIONS FOR OCCUPATIONAL STRESS MANAGEMENT AMONG NURSES: A systematic literature review

Degree Programme Degree in Nursing Date December 2011 Author NJOROGE RUTH WANJIKU Name of thesis Interventions for occupational stress management among nurses: A systematic literature review. Instructor Marja-Liisa Hiironen Pages 29 Supervisor Anita Hollanti Occupational stress in nursing is an endemic problem. It contributes to decrease of efficiency among nurses due to health problems. Documenting the effective interventions was essential for a successful health promotion of the nurses. The goal of the study was to identify interventions to manage the occupational stress among the nurses. The study aimed to promote the health of nurses and offer nursing students opportunities to learn interventions for stress management. The study applied a systematic literature process and analysed data through comparative and content analysis. It adapted two frame works of health promotion to explain stress management activities and compared the findings with the reviewed findings. The theoretical framework discussed the crucial activities that need to be considered in health promotion adapted from Ewles et al. (2003) as well as the approaches to the activities. The following interventions are included in the framework: preventive health services, community based work , health education programmes, economic and regulatory activities, environmental health issues and healthy public policy. The study identified seven groups of interventions: Psycho-educational, holistic wellness programme, organized conditions and job characteristics, Cognitive Behavioural Intervention (CBI), specific management behaviours, use of jobdemand scale and competency approach. The features of these interventions are discussed in themes in themes. The interventions showed similarities with theory but some findings indicated variance. Some characteristics of the interventions displayed relations. The interventions can be prompted individually or in groups of nurses or by the administrators.