ABSTRACT
It is debatable as to whether caring for the acutely/critical patient is more stressful than other areas of nursing. Equally, it is not clear if acute care nurses experience a larger amount of stress in total. Stress is a subjective phenomenon, dependent upon multiple variables, e.g. the nurse’s level of competence and experience; severity of patient’s illness; past experiences; perceptions of the situation and complexity of decision-making. Taking into consideration these variables, any clinical environment has the potential to be stressful. This chapter aims to identify some of the sources of stress confronting both the patient and nurse. It is divided into two sections: the patient’s perspective and the nurse’s perspective. While it is identified that transfer has a large impact (stress) on the patient and their family, readers are directed to read Chapter 4 for discussions in this area. There are various definitions of stress available. Each contains many meanings, making them confusing and ill defined. Nevertheless, common attributes are seen within all of them, in that they all state the relationship between environmental influences and the individual. Stress is a response, by the body, to a stimulus that disturbs or interferes with normal equilibrium. So, stress can be viewed as a response to perceived demand. Therefore, it is a situation that is created when an individual is faced with any stimulus that causes disequilibria between normal homeostatic functioning (Morton and Fontaine, 2009). This function is dependent upon the individual’s ability to perceive and appraise the situation. Consequently, any situation can activate stress, and so has become a natural component of our lives. There is a tendency to concentrate on the negative components of stress and where possible attempt to avoid stress-provoking situations. Stress can and does act as a motivator, as seen in some individuals who work and thrive in ‘highly stressful’ environments. A certain amount of stress is considered to be desirable for adaptation to occur. However, problems arise when coping mechanisms fail and stress becomes counter-productive. Signs include lack of concentration, anxiety and insomnia.
