The consequences of nursing stress and need for integrated solutions.

PURPOSE In a 2011 survey sponsored by the American Nurses Association (ANA), nurses identified the acute and chronic effects of stress and overwork as one of their two top safety and health concerns. DESIGN/METHODS A review of the literature was conducted to investigate the impact that job stress has on the health and safety of nursing professionals and the role that working conditions and job characteristics play in fostering job stress. FINDINGS Strong evidence supporting links between job stress, safety and health in general and within different types of nursing populations exists. Working conditions also contribute to the development of job stress. CONCLUSION Combining and integrating "person-focused" strategies designed to build nurses' ability to manage stress at the individual level with "organization-focused" strategies that eliminate stressful working conditions is critical to the reduction and prevention of job stress among nursing professionals.