title: Nurses and stress: recognizing causes and seeking solutions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify, from the perspectives of nurses, occupational stressors and ways in which they may be reduced.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Nurses commonly experience high levels of occupational stress, with negative consequences for their physical and psychological health, health-care organisations and community. There is minimal research on reducing occupational stress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six focus groups were conducted with 38 registered nurses using a qualitative exploratory approach. Participants were asked to identify sources of occupational stress and possible workplace initiatives to reduce stress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sources of occupational stress were: high workloads, unavailability of doctors, unsupportive management, human resource issues, interpersonal issues, patients' relatives, shift work, car parking, handover procedures, no common area for nurses, not progressing at work and patient mental health. Suggestions for reduction included: workload modification, non-ward-based initiatives, changing shift hours, forwarding suggestions for change, music, special events, organisational development, ensuring nurses get breaks, massage therapists, acknowledgement from management and leadership within wards.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings highlight the need to understand local perspectives and the importance of involving nurses in identifying initiatives to reduce occupational stress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health-care environments can be enhanced through local understanding of the occupational stressors and productively engaging nurses in developing stress reduction initiatives. Nurse managers must facilitate such processes.
authors.affiliation: Central Queensland University, Institute for Health and Social Science Research, Centre for Mental Health Nursing Innovation and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Qld, Australia.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Happell
authors.forename: Trudy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reid-Searl
authors.forename: Karena J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: Cristina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Caperchione
authors.forename: Cadeyrn J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gaskin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008405:Massage; D009726:Nurses / Q000523:psychology*; D015399:Nursing Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D016272:Occupational Health; D015279:Organizational Culture; D010299:Parking Facilities; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011793:Queensland; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016526:Workload