title: Stress Among Iranian Nurses in Critical Wards.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stress has been recognized as a significant psychosocial and physiologic component in educational and practical processes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of present study was to survey stress among Iranian nurses in critical wards.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, 3643 anonymous questionnaires were disseminated among nurses in different hospitals in Tehran, Iran, by utilizing multistage random sampling. The questionnaire consisted of two sections: demographic characteristics and a 22-item list on a five-point Likert scale. The association of variables with stress was evaluated using hierarchical logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 3043 completed questionnaires were completed and returned (response rate, 83.53%). Age (> 33 years, 1571 (51.63%); < 33 years old, 1472 (48.37%)), marital status (single, 188 (6.18%); married, 2685 (88.24%); and widow, 170 (5.59%)), working shift (morning, 605 (19.88%); evening, 631 (20.74%); night, 603 (19.82%); and rotation, 1204 (39.57%)), and the years of experience of nurses (1 - 5 years, 413 (13.57%); 6 - 10 years, 589 (19.36%); 11 - 15 years, 832 (27.34%); 16 - 20 years, 758 (24.91%); and 21-25 years, 451 (14.82%)) had significant association with the level of stress (P < 0.05 for all parameters). However, sex (male, 937 (30.79%); and female, 2106 (69.21%)), education (associate, 444 (14.59%); baccalaureate, 2250 (73.94%); and master, 349 (11.47%)), and body mass index (> 24.6 kg/m(2), 2514 (49.75%); and < 24.6 kg/m(2), 1529 (50.25%)) showed no significant association with the level of stress (P > 0.05 for all parameters).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the personal and background characteristics of personnel and understanding their association with stress and stressful situations encompasses the ability to persevere and adapt to contextual stressors.
authors.affiliation: Chronic Respiratory Diseases Research Center (CRDRC), National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hashemian
authors.affiliation: Tracheal Diseases Research Center (TDRC), Masih Daneshvari Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Behrooz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Farzanegan
authors.affiliation: Shahid Modares Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fathi
authors.affiliation: Anesthesiology Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Hossein
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ardehali
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Nursing Faculty, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vahedian-Azimi
authors.affiliation: Traffic Injury Prevention Research Center, Faculty of Health, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asghari-Jafarabadi
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Development Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammadreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hajiesmaeili
keywords: Coronary Care Unit; Intensive Care Unit; Iran; Nursing