Stress management training program for stress reduction and coping improvement in public health nurses: A randomized controlled trial

Stress dimensions, patterns of coping, and psychopathological risk among nurses: a person-centred approach

BACKGROUND

Nurses are increasingly demanded to achieve gold-standards of care with fewer resources. Dealing effectively with stress experienced in their daily-work-life is thus crucial. This study is based on the Demands-Resources-and-Individual-Effects (DRIVE) Nurses Model and applied the person-centred approach with a twofold objective: 1. to identify patterns of coping strategies (Problem-Focused; Seek-Advice; Self-Blame; Wishful-Thinking; Escape/Avoidance) adopted by nurses to deal with perceived stress; 2. to explore potential differences in perceived Demands (Effort), Resources (Rewards, Job-Control, Social-Support), and Psychopathological Symptoms (Anxiety, Phobic-Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, Somatization, Depression, Interpersonal-Sensitivity, Hostility, Psychoticism, Paranoid-Ideation) according to the emerged patterns.

METHOD

This cross-sectional study was reported by using the STROBE Checklist. Overall, 265 nursing professionals completed self-report measures. Non-hierarchical k-means-cluster-analysis was employed to derive patterns of coping. MANOVAs were used to test differences in Demands, Resources, and Psychopathological Symptoms according to the emerged patterns.

RESULTS

Three stable and meaningful patterns of coping were identified and labelled as Active/Solution-Oriented, Dysregulated/Emotion-focused, and Passive/Disengaged. Nurses belonging to Dysregulated/Emotion-focused group emerged to be at higher risk (higher effort/psychopathological suffering; lower resources) - followed by Passive/Disengaged group - in comparison with nurses belonging to Active/Solution-Oriented group.

CONCLUSION

Fostering nurses' awareness of their latent coping patterns and supporting active approaches/emotional regulation strategies for stress management should represent a key goal when defining interventions promoting nurses' health within/beyond the healthcare settings.

Beneficial effects of a cognitive-behavioral occupational stress management group training: the mediating role of changing cognitions

Introduction

While the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral stress management trainings (SMTs) is well-documented, the underlying mechanisms, especially in an occupational context, are not fully understood. We tested whether SMT-induced improvements in stress management skills, particularly in the mastery of changing cognitions, may explain beneficial SMT effects.

Methods

Our non-randomized controlled trial comprised 108 employees of a German health insurance company, with 65 of them participating in a cognitive-behavioral SMT and 43 participating in an alternative control training (AT). As outcome variables, we repeatedly assessed stress-related (functional stress management skills, relaxation, stress reactivity, exhaustion), work-related (job dissatisfaction), and specific-context-related (social support, trait anger) measures at baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months after the trainings. Functional stress management skills and, in particular, a subscale assessing perceived mastery of changing cognitions ("cognitive-strategies-and-problem-solving") were tested as mediators of change.

Results

Repeated measures (M)AN(C)OVAs and complementary multigroup latent difference models confirmed improvements in all outcomes in the SMT-group compared to the AT-group (p's ≤ 0.015). Multivariate mediation path analyses revealed that, regarding mechanisms of change, the subscale cognitive-strategies-and-problem-solving was identified as the most important mediator for all outcomes (95% CIs for expected increases in SMT- vs. AT-group = [lower limits (LLs) ≥ 0.004]; 95% CIs for expected decreases in the SMT- vs. AT-group = [upper limits(ULs) ≤ -0.078]) except for job dissatisfaction.

Discussion

Our findings confirm that employees can effectively learn to master stress reduction techniques and consequently lower the resulting burden. Moreover, beneficial SMT effects seem to result from improvements in functional stress management skills, particularly in the ability to change cognitions. This points to the importance of training cognitive techniques.

Predictive factors of occupational stress among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in Kashan, Iran

BACKGROUND

Considering the severe and sudden changes in the job conditions of nurses during the covid-19 pandemic, the increase in job tensions during this critical period and its consequences on the quantity and quality of nursing care, this study aims to investigate the job stress of nurses during the covid-19 pandemic and its predictors in Iran.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 nurses in 'Kashan', Iran, who were randomly selected using stratified sampling. Data were collected using two questionnaires on occupational stress and potential related factors. The data were analyzed in SPSS version 16.

RESULTS

The results showed that the occupational stress of nurses in Iran was at a medium to high level with a mean and standard deviation of 103.773 ± 15.742 (scale of 34-136). Factors such as satisfaction with physical health, quality of work life, satisfaction with the availability of facilities, sense of coherence, education level, work experience, job burnout, male gender, being native, and workplace were predictors of occupational stress and explained 23.3% of the variance in occupational stress score. The highest contribution was related to satisfaction with physical health.

CONCLUSION

Considering the consequences of occupational stress for nurses, it is crucial for health and nursing authorities to take these factors into consideration in policy-making and planning.

Longitudinal assessment of psychological distress and its determinants in a sample of firefighters based in Montreal, Canada

Introduction

Firefighters face elevated risks of common mental health issues, with distress rates estimated at around 30%, surpassing those of many other occupational groups. While exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) is a well-recognized risk factor, existing research acknowledges the need for a broader perspective encompassing multidimensional factors within the realm of occupational stress. Furthermore, this body of evidence heavily relies on cross-sectional studies. This study adopts an intensive longitudinal approach to assess psychological distress and its determinants among firefighters.

Methods

Participants were recruited from 67 fire stations in Montreal, Canada, meeting specific criteria: full-time employment, smartphone ownership, and recent exposure to at least one PTE, or first responder status. Subjects underwent a telephone interview and were directed to use an app to report depressive, post-traumatic, and generalized anxiety symptoms every 2 weeks, along with work-related stressors, social support, and coping styles. Analyses involved 274 participants, distinguishing between those exceeding clinical thresholds in at least one distress measure (the "distressed" subgroup) and those deemed "resilient." The duration and onset of distress were computed for the distressed group, and linear mixed models were employed to evaluate determinants for each psychological distress variable.

Results

Clinical psychological distress was observed in 20.7% of participants, marked by depressive, post-traumatic, and anxiety symptoms, often within the first 4-week reference period. Contextual factors (operational climate, social support, solitude) and individual factors (coping style, solitude and lifetime traumatic events in private life) exhibited more significant impacts on psychological distress than professional pressures within the firefighters' work environment.

Discussion

This study reports lower rates of psychological distress than previous research, possibly attributable to sample differences. It highlights that reported symptoms often represent a combined and transient layer of distress rather than diagnosable mental disorders. Additionally, determinants analysis underscores the importance of interpersonal relationships and coping mechanisms for mental health prevention interventions within this worker group. The findings carry implications for the development of prevention and support programs for firefighters and similar emergency workers.

The relationship of stress coping styles on substance use, depressive symptoms, and personality traits of nurses in higher education institution

AIM

This study examined the collective characteristics of nurses and their stress coping style.

METHODS

We conducted a cluster analysis of the stress coping strategies of 841 nurses belonging to Dokkyo Medical University Hospital, as measured by the Brief COPE (Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced). We also conducted multivariate analyses of each cluster's sociodemographic characteristics, personality traits, depressive symptoms, work attitudes, sense of fairness, and turnover intention.

RESULTS

The results of cluster analysis using the standardized z scores of the Brief COPE demonstrated that the study participants were classified into three clusters. The "emotional-response type" tended to favor the use of emotional support, venting, and self-blame. The "reality-escape type" tended to prefer alcohol and substance use, behavioral resignation, use of instrumental support, and lack of acceptance. The "problem-solving type" tended to prefer planning, positive reframing, and acceptance and to dislike "alcohol and substance use" and behavioral disengagement. A multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that compared to the problem-solving type, the emotional-response type had a lower job title, a higher "neuroticism" score on the TIPI-J, and a higher K6 score. However, compared to the problem-solving type, the reality-escape type was younger, consumed more alcohol and substances, and had a higher K6 score.

CONCLUSIONS

Stress coping styles were found to be associated with substance use, depressive symptoms, and personality traits among nurses in higher education institutions. Thus, the results suggest that nurses who choose maladaptive stress coping styles require mental support and early identification of depressive symptoms and alcohol problems.

The relationship between perceived stress and prolonged grief disorder among Chinese Shidu parents: effects of anxiety and social support

BACKGROUND

Shidu parents refer to the couple who have lost their only child and have not given birth or adopted another child in China. The number of Shidu parents is increasing annually. The aim of this research was to examine the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of social support between perceived stress and prolonged grief disorder (PGD) among Chinese Shidu parents.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out with 505 participants who completed a questionnaire including the Prolonged Grief Questionnair-3 (PG-13), the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ). SPSS PROCESS macro was employed to examine the mediating role of anxiety and the moderating role of social support.

RESULTS

The mediation analysis showed anxiety partially mediated the link between perceived stress and PGD, and the proportion of mediation of anxiety was 39.22%. The moderated mediation analysis revealed the second stage of mediating effects of anxiety on the link between perceived stress and PGD was moderated by social support. Specifically, compared with Shidu parents with higher social support, the association between anxiety and PGD was closer for those with lower social support.

CONCLUSIONS

The moderated mediation model can broaden our understanding of how and when perceived stress, anxiety and social support work together to affect PGD. The interventions aimed at improving mental health of Chinese Shidu parents need to work on reducing stress and enhancing social support.

Individual-level interventions for reducing occupational stress in healthcare workers

BACKGROUND

Healthcare workers can suffer from work-related stress as a result of an imbalance of demands, skills and social support at work. This may lead to stress, burnout and psychosomatic problems, and deterioration of service provision. This is an update of a Cochrane Review that was last updated in 2015, which has been split into this review and a review on organisational-level interventions.  OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of stress-reduction interventions targeting individual healthcare workers compared to no intervention, wait list, placebo, no stress-reduction intervention or another type of stress-reduction intervention in reducing stress symptoms.  SEARCH METHODS: We used the previous version of the review as one source of studies (search date: November 2013). We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science and a trials register from 2013 up to February 2022.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCT) evaluating the effectiveness of stress interventions directed at healthcare workers. We included only interventions targeted at individual healthcare workers aimed at reducing stress symptoms.  DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Review authors independently selected trials for inclusion, assessed risk of bias and extracted data. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane. We categorised interventions into ones that: 1. focus one's attention on the (modification of the) experience of stress (thoughts, feelings, behaviour);  2. focus one's attention away from the experience of stress by various means of psychological disengagement (e.g. relaxing, exercise);  3. alter work-related risk factors on an individual level; and ones that 4. combine two or more of the above.  The crucial outcome measure was stress symptoms measured with various self-reported questionnaires such as the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), measured at short term (up to and including three months after the intervention ended), medium term (> 3 to 12 months after the intervention ended), and long term follow-up (> 12 months after the intervention ended).  MAIN RESULTS: This is the second update of the original Cochrane Review published in 2006, Issue 4. This review update includes 89 new studies, bringing the total number of studies in the current review to 117 with a total of 11,119 participants randomised.  The number of participants per study arm was ≥ 50 in 32 studies. The most important risk of bias was the lack of blinding of participants.  Focus on the experience of stress versus no intervention/wait list/placebo/no stress-reduction intervention Fifty-two studies studied an intervention in which one's focus is on the experience of stress. Overall, such interventions may result in a reduction in stress symptoms in the short term (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.52 to -0.23; 41 RCTs; 3645 participants; low-certainty evidence) and medium term (SMD -0.43, 95% CI -0.71 to -0.14; 19 RCTs; 1851 participants; low-certainty evidence). The SMD of the short-term result translates back to 4.6 points fewer on the MBI-emotional exhaustion scale (MBI-EE, a scale from 0 to 54). The evidence is very uncertain (one RCT; 68 participants, very low-certainty evidence) about the long-term effect on stress symptoms of focusing one's attention on the experience of stress. Focus away from the experience of stress versus no intervention/wait list/placebo/no stress-reduction intervention  Forty-two studies studied an intervention in which one's focus is away from the experience of stress. Overall, such interventions may result in a reduction in stress symptoms in the short term (SMD -0.55, 95 CI -0.70 to -0.40; 35 RCTs; 2366 participants; low-certainty evidence) and medium term (SMD -0.41 95% CI -0.79 to -0.03; 6 RCTs; 427 participants; low-certainty evidence). The SMD on the short term translates back to 6.8 fewer points on the MBI-EE. No studies reported the long-term effect. Focus on work-related, individual-level factors versus no intervention/no stress-reduction intervention Seven studies studied an intervention in which the focus is on altering work-related factors. The evidence is very uncertain about the short-term effects (no pooled effect estimate; three RCTs; 87 participants; very low-certainty evidence) and medium-term effects and long-term effects (no pooled effect estimate; two RCTs; 152 participants, and one RCT; 161 participants, very low-certainty evidence) of this type of stress management intervention.  A combination of individual-level interventions versus no intervention/wait list/no stress-reduction intervention Seventeen studies studied a combination of interventions. In the short-term, this type of intervention may result in a reduction in stress symptoms (SMD -0.67 95%, CI -0.95 to -0.39; 15 RCTs; 1003 participants; low-certainty evidence). The SMD translates back to 8.2 fewer points on the MBI-EE. On the medium term, a combination of individual-level interventions may result in a reduction in stress symptoms, but the evidence does not exclude no effect (SMD -0.48, 95% CI -0.95 to 0.00; 6 RCTs; 574 participants; low-certainty evidence). The evidence is very uncertain about the long term effects of a combination of interventions on stress symptoms (one RCT, 88 participants; very low-certainty evidence). Focus on stress versus other intervention type  Three studies compared focusing on stress versus focusing away from stress and one study a combination of interventions versus focusing on stress. The evidence is very uncertain about which type of intervention is better or if their effect is similar.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Our review shows that there may be an effect on stress reduction in healthcare workers from individual-level stress interventions, whether they focus one's attention on or away from the experience of stress. This effect may last up to a year after the end of the intervention. A combination of interventions may be beneficial as well, at least in the short term. Long-term effects of individual-level stress management interventions remain unknown. The same applies for interventions on (individual-level) work-related risk factors. The bias assessment of the studies in this review showed the need for methodologically better-designed and executed studies, as nearly all studies suffered from poor reporting of the randomisation procedures, lack of blinding of participants and lack of trial registration. Better-designed trials with larger sample sizes are required to increase the certainty of the evidence. Last, there is a need for more studies on interventions which focus on work-related risk factors.

Resilient Nurses in the COVID-19 Compared With Non-COVID-19 Wards

INTRODUCTION

Owing to daily exposure to high job stress, nurses need to use coping techniques. One of the coping strategies helping a person to cope with stressful situations effectively is resiliency skills. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the factors related to nurses' resiliency during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic.

METHODS

The resiliency of 288 nurses, 145 nurses from the COVID-19 wards , and 143 nurses from other wards were compared using 25-item Connor & Davidson Resilience Questionnaire. This study was conducted in 2021 in four referral hospitals at Shiraz.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 32 y. The average resilience score in the in the participants worked in COVID-19 wards was 95.30 for men and 87.72 for women, and in the non-COVID-19 wards was 85.82 for men and 88.48 for women. The mean resiliency scores of nurses working in COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards did not show a statistically significant difference. Factors affecting resilience included age, employment status, gender, and job expectancy.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, the resiliency of nurses working in COVID-19 wards did not differed from that of working in non-COVID-19 ones. This result should be further investigated and elaborated. Health policymakers should consider job expectation, gender, age, and employment status of nurses when making plans for future pandemics.

Effectiveness of interventions to improve health behaviours of health professionals: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve the health behaviours of health professionals.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

Database searches: Medline, Cochrane library, Embase and CINAHL.

REVIEW METHODS

This systematic review used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to compare randomised controlled trials of health professionals, published between 2010 and 2021, which aimed to improve at least one health behaviour such as physical activity, diet, smoking status, mental health and stress. Two independent reviewers screened articles, extracted data and assessed quality of studies and reporting. The quality of articles was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project quality assessment tool and the completeness of intervention reporting was assessed.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The outcome assessed was change in behaviour between intervention and control groups from baseline to follow-up.

RESULTS

Nine studies met the eligibility criteria, totalling 1107 participants. Health behaviours targeted were mental health and stress, physical activity, and smoking cessation, physical activity and nutrition. Six interventions observed significant improvements in the health behaviour in the intervention compared with control groups. Seven of the studies selected in person workshops as the mode of intervention delivery. The quality of the included studies was high with 80% (7/9) graded as moderate or strong.

CONCLUSIONS

Although high heterogeneity was found between interventions and outcomes, promising progress has occurred across a variety of health behaviours. Improving reporting and use of theories and models may improve effectiveness and evaluation of interventions. Further investigation is needed to recommend effective strategies.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42021238684.

Support interventions for nurses working in acute psychiatric units: A systematic review

Diverse support interventions have been implemented to provide support for nurses working in acute psychiatric settings. These interventions aimed at modifying the psychological and social factors, as they either prevent stress responses or reduce its effects to improve the psychological well-being of staff. This study aimed to examine effective stress reduction interventions for nurses and to identify key elements of these successful interventions. Studies included in this review were conducted in acute psychiatric settings. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was conducted for support intervention studies between 2010 and 2021. The search yielded 315 studies that were reduced to seven studies after being reviewed by two independent reviewers. The studies were coded, and key elements were identified. Seven studies that were included consisted of a randomised controlled trial, quasi-experimental design and single-group design. Interventions included mindfulness-based stress reduction, burnout prevention programmes, communication skills, educational programme, group intervention, resilience training programme and stress management. Four key elements emerged from these interventions, namely, educational support, interpersonal skills, psychological support and adaptive coping. The findings highlighted the diverse interventions in supporting psychiatric nurses to cope with stress. However, there is a dearth of studies in acute psychiatric settings that were mostly done in emergency settings. Knowledge gained from this review may assist with practice improvement as managers can implement the identified interventions.

Contribution

This is the first systematic review focusing on supportive interventions for nurses in acute psychiatric settings. The knowledge gained from this review will add to the existing research knowledge base in the field.

The effect of medical material management system app on nursing workload and stress

Aims

To develop a clinical medical material management App for nurses, in order to reduce their workload and improve the efficacy of medical material management.

Design

The single-group pre- and post-test experimental design was adopted.

Methods

The subjects were nurses in the intensive care units of a regional hospital in Hsinchu City enrolled by purposive sampling. Single-group pre-tests and post-tests were conducted. The research period was from November 2019 to March 2020. The workload, stress, and information acceptance of 57 nurses before and after the intervention of the Medical Equipment App were collected. The research tools included a structured questionnaire, which includes open questions that cover the aspects of workload, stress, and information acceptance intention of nurses, as well as a demographic questionnaire, which collects the basic personal data, including gender, age, years of service, educational level, nursing ability level, use ability of IT products, and unit type. The results were analyzed and compared using SPSS, APP Inventor, and data mining modeling to determine the effects of the App.

Results

After employing the Shift Check App, the average workload of nurses was effectively reduced, in particular, the workload reduction of the N1 level nursing ability was greater than that of N2. In addition to satisfaction, the scores of information acceptance intention in all aspects, including behavioral intention, technology use intention, and contributing factors, all increased.

Conclusion

The use of information technology products to assist medical material management in clinical practice has a significant effect on the load reduction of nurses and improvement of satisfaction.

Clinical relevance

The App developed in this study can improve nurses’ work satisfaction, quality of care and workload reduction.

Self-endangering: A qualitative study on psychological mechanisms underlying nurses’ burnout in long-term care

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

The COVID-19 pandemic - A focus on nurse managers' mental health, coping behaviours and organisational commitment

BACKGROUND

The emergence of COVID-19 has substantially impacted frontline health care workers, including nurse managers. To date, no studies have been conducted to examine the impact COVID-19 has had on Nurse Managers' mental health, coping strategies and organisational commitment.

AIM

To investigate the mental health, coping behaviours, and organisational commitment among Nurse Managers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study involving 59 Nursing Managers from one Local Health District in Sydney Australia during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected relating to demographics, anxiety, coping strategies and organisational commitment.

RESULTS

Overall, approximately three quarters of the Nurse Managers had high anxiety scores. Managers who had worked longer as a nurse had higher scores for adaptive coping strategies and 41% of Nurse Managers considered leaving their jobs.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies to minimise anxiety and enable coping as part of organisational disaster, emergency or crisis planning for Nurse Managers may result in decreased anxiety and stress levels, increased use of adaptive coping strategies and lower intent to leave the organisation and the nursing profession.

The Impact of COVID-19: Nurses Occupational Stress and Strategies to Manage It

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the occupational stress perception of nurses and how they manage it during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND

The management of occupational stress is a key factor in promoting nurses' well-being.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted.

RESULTS

The top occupational stressors from the nurses' perspectives (N = 236) as measured by using an updated version of the Nursing Stress Scale (NSS) included wearing a face mask at all times in the hospital, unpredictable staffing and scheduling, not enough staff to adequately cover the unit, feeling helpless in the case a patient fails to improve, and being assigned to a COVID-19 patient. The mean stress score was 31.87. The updated NSS Cronbach's α was 0.92, and the interclass interclass correlation coefficient was 0.914.

CONCLUSION

Nurse administrators are in a strategic position to develop interventions (eg, open door policy, meetings, and employee assistance programs) to assist nurses in effectively managing stress.

The impact of stress management training on stress-related coping strategies and self-efficacy in hemodialysis patients: a randomized controlled clinical trial

Introduction

Dialysis causes many psychological and social problems, such as stress and inefficiency in patients, which should be considered in health promotion interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the impact of stress management training on stress coping strategies and the self-efficacy of these patients in southeastern Iran.

Methods

This quasi-experimental study was a randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on hemodialysis patients from December 2019 to January 2020. Patients who met inclusion criteria were selected with the convenience sampling method and divided into the two groups of intervention (n = 30) and control (n = 30) by using the block randomization method. Participants in the intervention group were trained in a stress management training program in 8 one-and-a-half-hour sessions, held twice a week. Data were measured with stress coping strategies and general self-efficacy questionnaires before, immediately, and 1 month after the intervention. SPSS18 was used for data analysis.

Results

The study results showed that the scores of stress coping strategies and the self-efficacy score in all their dimensions were significantly different between the intervention and control groups (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The present study results showed that stress management training programs promoted stress coping strategies and self-efficacy in hemodialysis patients. Health planners and nurses are recommended to use these easy, feasible, and inexpensive interventions to reduce stress and increase self-efficacy.

Trial registration Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT): IRCT20160914029817N10. Date of registration: October 7, 2021. URL: https://en.irct.ir/trial/58540. Registration timing: a retrospective.

Individual-Level Interventions for Decreasing Job-Related Stress and Enhancing Coping Strategies Among Nurses: A Systematic Review

Background: Nurses are facing unprecedented amounts of pressure because of the ongoing global health challenges. Improving nurses' resilience to job-related stress and enhancing their strategies to cope effectively with stressors are key issues facing many health care institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This literature review aimed to: a) provide a thorough overview of individual-level interventions for stress management among nurses, b) identify measurement tools utilized to evaluate nurses' stress level, and c) provide the best evidence-based recommendations for future research and practice adapted to the current restrictions. Design: Systematic review. Data Sources: Studies published between January 2000 and October 2020 were retrieved from the following sources: EBSCOhost, Dortmund University Library, PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, Applied Nursing Research, and reference lists from relevant articles. Review methods: Individual-level interventions with a control group or a placebo intervention were included in the final sample. Primary outcome was defined as a change in individual stress level or stress symptoms which were measured by objective or subjective instruments with evidence of validity. Articles published in English or German were included in the present review. Results: In total, 27 relevant studies were included into the current review. There are some indications that technology-delivered interventions with relaxation and stress management interventions comprising cognitive-behavioral components might be effective in decreasing stress among nurses and improving their well-being. Furthermore, although there were some attempts to collect objectively measured parameters for assessing the primary outcome of stress, the majority of the interventions utilized self-reported stress scales. Conclusion: A wide range of interventions are available for nurses. However, it is of utmost importance to develop and implement stress management programs that are conveniently accessible in the workplace and above all, meet the current restrictions for minimizing human contacts. To this end, innovative interventions delivered through digital technology, such as virtual reality, seem to be a promising solution for combating the detrimental impact of stress on nurses. Special attention should be also paid to applying standardized objective measurement tools to allow the assessment of sensitive physiological indices and the generalizability of scientific knowledge.