The correlation between occupational stress, coping strategies, and the levels of psychological distress among nurses working in mental health hospital in Jordan

Mediating roles of meaning in life and psychological flexibility in the relationships between occupational stress and job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress in teachers

Employees may experience stress in the workplace for various reasons. Psychological strengths may help them to cope with emerging challenges and foster mental health and work productivity. This study examined the mediating roles of meaning in life and psychological flexibility in the relationships between perceived occupational stress and job satisfaction, job performance and psychological distress. This cross-section study included 554 teachers (56.0% males; Mage = 36.99 ± 7.88 years) at all school levels in Türkiye. The research data was collected through a convenience sampling method using an online survey. Participants completed self-report measures of meaning in life, psychological flexibility, perceived occupational stress, job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress. Pearson product-moment correlation and parallel mediation model using PROCESS macro (Model 4) were utilized to analyze the data. The results showed that perceived occupational stress had a significant effect on meaning in life, psychological flexibility, job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress. Also, meaning in life and psychological flexibility had significant effects on job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress. Furthermore, meaning in life and psychological flexibility partially mediated the relationships between occupational stress and job satisfaction, job performance, and psychological distress. These findings highlight the significance of considering meaning in life and psychological flexibility as crucial factors in mitigating the impact of occupational stress on employee mental health and work productivity. By focusing on enhancing employees' sense of meaning and their ability to adapt flexibly to workplace challenges, organizations can potentially create a better environment that fosters positive outcomes for both employees and the organization. However, the impact of occupational stress on job performance, job satisfaction and psychological distress may change over time. To address this concern, future research should test the model through a longitudinal study design.

Work engagement of psychiatric nurses: a scoping review

OBJECTIVES

Work engagement is an essential factor in improving employee performance. However, no reviews on the work engagement of psychiatric nurses have been conducted to date. This study aimed to examine the current status of research on the work engagement of psychiatric nurses and identify salient factors.

DESIGN

A scoping review.

METHODS

This review adhered to the established scoping review methodological guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews checklist. The inclusion criteria were based on nurses, work engagement and psychiatric settings without language or date restrictions. Regardless of the methodology or study design, research studies related to the work engagement of psychiatric nurses have been included. A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO from the inception of each database, with the search strategies being set by an information specialist. The deadline for the search was 15 February 2023.

RESULTS

The study included 12 studies. All studies have been published since 2013. The study designs included cross-sectional (n=10), longitudinal (n=1) and intervention (n=1) studies. The impacts of work engagement were classified into (1) attitudes towards patients, (2) attitudes towards work, (3) mental health and (4) quality of care. Factors influencing work engagement were classified into (1) demographics, (2) workplace factors, (3) individual factors and (4) patient factors.

CONCLUSION

Work engagement of psychiatric nurses has lately gained attention, although data are limited because most studies used a cross-sectional design. Psychiatric nurses with higher work engagement showed positive outcomes. Workplace and individual factors can potentially improve their work engagement. The findings can assist nursing managers in enhancing psychiatric nurses' work engagement and, consequently, their performance.

Exploring work-related stressors experienced by mental health nurses: A qualitative descriptive study

INTRODUCTION

The challenging work environments mental health nurses (MHNs) encounter can negatively impact their mental health, psychological well-being and physical health. While these impacts have been investigated in quantitative research, little is known about work-related stress from the perspective of MHNs.

AIM

To explore the stresses faced by nurses working in mental health settings and to gain an understanding of the underlying workplace context.

METHOD

A descriptive qualitative study with data collected via semi-structured individual telephone interviews conducted with n = 21 Western Australian MHNs. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 85 codes were generated that led to the identification of 13 subthemes and 4 main themes: (1) mental health nursing context, (2) work environment stressors, (3) factors that alleviate stress and (4) the impact of workplace stress.

DISCUSSION

Many of the stressors MHNs were exposed to are modifiable, such as understaffing and poor skill mix. Modifiable stressors increased risk for MHNs, impeded patient care and exacerbated inherent stressors such as patient acuity and complexity.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This study collected data that provide rich descriptions of the experiences of MHNs and identify modifiable work-related stressors that could be alleviated through effective leadership and management.

Sources of Work-Related Stress Among Omani Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nurses experience high levels of stress as they deal with the patients having complex health care problems. Stress in nursing affects the practice of nursing profession worldwide. In response to this, the investigators explored the sources of work-related stress (WRS) among Omani Nurses. Samples were selected through proportionate population sampling from 5 selected tertiary care hospitals. Data were collected through self-administered nursing stress scale (NSS). The study included 383 Omani nurses. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The sources of WRS among nurses showed the percentage mean scores ranging from 8.5% to 21%. The overall mean score for the NSS was 42.85 ± 17.705. Out of 7 subscales, the highest level of WRS was on workload with a mean score of 8.99 (21%) followed by emotional issues related to death and dying 8.72 (20.4%). The lowest mean score was seen on the lack of support 3.65 (8.5%) and inadequate preparation to meet the emotional demands of patients and their families 3.86 (9%) of the total mean. WRS was associated with the nursing position as staff nurses, performing night shift and reduced job satisfaction. The study's results may help in developing human resource strategies aimed at minimizing nurses’ stress and improving quality of health care and task force performance.

Occupational Stress and Its Effects on Nurses at a Health Facility in Ho Municipality, Ghana

Introduction

The prevalence of occupational stress among nurses varies significantly around the globe. Nursing is often considered a stressful occupation and can have negative effects on the mental, physical, family relationships, and quality of care given to patients. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences, causes, effects, and coping strategies of occupational stress among nurses working at a health facility in Ho Municipality in Ghana.

Methods

The study employed a qualitative research approach with an exploratory design. Data saturation was reached with 18 participants. Purposive sampling was used to select participants, while semistructured interview guide with voice recorders were used in data collection. Data were manually transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Overall, four main themes and ten subthemes were developed from this study. The main themes were nurses' perception of occupational stress, sources of occupational stress, effects of occupational stress, and coping strategies adopted to cope with occupational stress. The subthemes were as follows: negative and positive stressful feeling, individual level, hospital level, general body pain and fatigue, mental health problems, ineffective relationships, low work output, diversional therapy, positive work outcomes, and psychological support from others (family and colleagues).

Discussion

There are more negative effects of occupational stress on nurses. However, most of the nurses adopted coping strategies to reduce stress with little or no support from the hospital. More support from the hospital will be required to totally manage occupational stress.

Conclusion

The study findings revealed how stress affects the daily life and work output of nurses. It is crucial to comprehend how work-related stress affects nurses and what aspects of their workplace are the most burdensome.

Health, Occupational Stress, and Psychosocial Risk Factors in Night Shift Psychiatric Nurses: The Influence of an Unscheduled Night-Time Nap

BACKGROUND

Occupational stress and shift work (including night shift work) are associated with physical and psychological health consequences in healthcare providers in general and those working in psychiatric establishments in particular. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of occupational risk factors and unscheduled night-time naps on self-reported health disorders among nurses working in a French psychiatric hospital.

METHODS

We performed a 12-month observational field study of experienced nurses working at Philippe Pinel Psychiatric Hospital (Amiens, France) between September 2018 and September 2019. A comparative descriptive study of two groups of nurses who filled out a questionnaire on health and occupational stress was performed: nurses working permanently on the night shift (the night shift group, who took unscheduled naps), and nurses rotating weekly between morning and afternoon shifts (the day shift group).

RESULTS

The night and day shift groups comprised 53 and 30 nurses, respectively. There were no intergroup differences in health disorders, sleep quality, occupational stress, and risk factor perception. Correlation analyses showed that in the day shift group, a low level of support from supervisors was associated with elevated levels of distress, anxiety, and gastrointestinal disorders. In the night shift group, a greater overall work load was associated with elevated levels of anxiety and distress. These findings indicated that the nurses on the night shift had adapted well to their working conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

An organizational strategy including an unscheduled night-time nap might improve health among night shift nurses.

Work engagement of psychiatric nurses: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Psychiatric nurses face various stressors related to nurse-patient relationships, workplace interpersonal relationships and organisational problems, and are required to perform excellent work under stressful situations. As work engagement (a counterconcept of burnout) is a key factor that improves the performance of nurses, clarifying how to improve work engagement is an essential topic among researchers. Although some knowledge has been accumulated on the subject, no reviews have been conducted on the work engagement of psychiatric nurses. To fill the gap, this scoping review will examine the status of research activity on the work engagement of psychiatric nurses and identify related factors, consequently mapping the available research in this area.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The review will be conducted according to established scoping review methodological guidelines. The inclusion criteria will be based on nurses (participants), work engagement (concept), and psychiatric settings (context) without language or date restrictions. Regardless of the methodology or study design, research related to the work engagement of psychiatric nurses will be included. A systematic search will be conducted for MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO, with the searches being arranged by an information specialist through discussion. The first author will screen all potentially relevant publications, and the second author will independently screen a random sample comprising 10% of the manuscripts. Any disagreement will be resolved by a review team. Data will be extracted using a standardised extraction form, subsequently summarised through quantitative (frequencies) and qualitative analyses (narrative synthesis), and reported in the results of the review.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

As the data will be collected from existing literature, ethical approval is not required. The findings will be disseminated through conference presentations and publication in a peer-reviewed journal. They are expected to help researchers enhance psychiatric nurses' work engagement, consequently contributing to improving their performance.

A structural equation model of the relationship among occupational stress, coping styles, and mental health of pediatric nurses in China: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Pediatric nurses experience a wide rang of stressful events at work every day, which can trigger a lot of emotional responses. The objectives of this study were mainly to explore the potential interrelationships of occupational stress, coping styles and mental health among pediatric nurse.

METHODS

A total of 381 pediatric nurses from Chongqing, China were recruited in this cross-sectional study. We performed this study based on a questionnaire survey that contained the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire and Symptom-Checklist 90(SCL-90).

RESULTS

The pediatric nurses reported having health risk stress(HRS) was 54.3%, and nurses with different medical professional titles, style of coping and profiles of mental health had significantly different occupational stress levels (P < 0.01). And with the application of the Spearman correlation analysis and Structural Equation Modelling were revealed a significant relationship among occupational stress, coping style and mental health. The positive coping style had a negative direct predictive effect on occupational stress (β = -0.499, P < 0.01) and mental health symptoms (β = -0.115, P < 0.01), negative coping styles had positive predictive effect on occupational stress (β = 0.185, P < 0.01) and mental health symptoms (β = 0.205, P < 0.01). Occupational stress had significant impact on mental health symptoms (β = 0.416, P < 0.01), and it was played a part of mediating effect between coping style and mental health.

CONCLUSION

These findings demonstrated significant associations between occupational stress, coping style and mental health in pediatric nurses, and this SEM model highlighted that the potential prediction effects of occupational stress and coping styles for mental health and the mediated effect of occupational stress between coping style and mental health, which we believe facilitates the understanding of these associations. This model should be useful in the formulation of strategies to improve mental health level for this population.

Mental health nurses' experience of challenging workplace situations: A qualitative descriptive study

Mental health nursing is acknowledged internationally as being a demanding profession; however, little is known about the range of experience and complexity of workplace challenges or their impacts on mental health nurses (MHN). This qualitative descriptive study aimed to examine and describe the range of challenging workplace situations experienced by MHN and is reported according to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research. An online cross-sectional survey collected demographic data and open-ended descriptions of workplace challenges experienced by n = 374 Australian MHN. Using a modified a priori framework, four categories of experience were derived through content analysis: consumer-related, colleague-related, nursing role-related, and organizational service-related challenges. Many accounts described a complex interplay of challenges. The findings extend prior knowledge on MHN experiences. Frequent workplace challenges included violence and aggression from consumers, bullying from colleagues, low staffing levels, and poor skill mix. Further extending the evidence, key challenges rarely described in prior literature were the psychological impacts of suicides and murder; the personal nature of threats from consumers; moral distress and concerns with colleagues' quality of practice; and exacerbation of practice-related issues by lack of support from colleagues and/or the organization. These have important implications for the profession and can inform targeted strategies to reduce stressors where possible, build staff well-being, support workforce retention, and improve the provision of quality care. The implementation of targeted policy and initiatives that focus on reducing key stressors and supporting practice are vital to staff retention and ensuring a high standard of practice in complex mental health workplaces.

Effectiveness of mindfulness‐based interventions on psychological well‐being, burnout and post‐traumatic stress disorder among nurses: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on psychological well-being, burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among working registered nurses.

BACKGROUND

Nurses account for nearly half of the global healthcare workforce and are considered significant contributors in multi-disciplinary healthcare teams. Yet, nurses face high levels of psychological distress, leading to burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder. Mindfulness-based training is a strategy that has been introduced to foster a state of awareness of present physical, emotional and cognitive experiences to regulate behaviour.

DESIGN

This systematic review of randomised controlled trials was designed according to PRISMA guidelines. Eligible studies were screened and extracted. Methodological quality was evaluated by two researchers, independently. RevMan 5.4 was used to conduct the meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies including a total of 1077 nurses were included, of which only eleven were included in the meta-analysis as the remaining had missing or incomplete data. Meta-analysis revealed that MBI was more effective than passive comparators in reducing psychological distress, stress, depression and burnout-personal accomplishment. When compared to active comparators, MBI was also found to be more effective in reducing psychological distress and was as effective in reducing stress, anxiety, depression and burnout. Evidence on the effects of MBIs on PTSD was scarce.

CONCLUSION

Mindfulness-based interventions can effectively reduce psychological distress, stress, depression and some dimensions of burnout. However, evidence remains scarce in the literature. There is a need for more methodologically sound research on mindfulness-based training among nurses.

RELEVANCE FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

An important aspect that relates to the success of mindfulness-based interventions is the continued and dedicated individual practice of the skills taught during mindfulness training amidst demanding clinical work environments. Therefore, relevant support for nurses must be accounted for in the planning, design and implementation of future mindfulness-based interventions.

Testing the relationship between patient-related stressor, psychological distress, work engagement, job satisfaction and recovery attitude among psychiatric nurses in Japan

AIMS

To test the relationship between patient-related stressor, psychological distress, work engagement and outcomes (job satisfaction and recovery attitude) among psychiatric nurses in Japan. Specifically, we tested the following hypotheses: psychological distress mediates the relationship between patient-related stressor and outcomes and work engagement moderates the direct and indirect effects of patient-related stressor on outcomes.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

In total, 446 psychiatric nurses in Japan responded to a self-reported questionnaire between August and October 2018. Data on demographics, patient-related stressor, job satisfaction, recovery attitude, psychological distress and work engagement were collected, followed by a moderated mediation analysis using hierarchical regression and structural equation modeling (SEM).

RESULTS

Regression analysis indicated that psychological distress mediated the negative relationship between patient-related stressor and job satisfaction and that work engagement moderated the direct and indirect effects of patient-related stressor on job satisfaction. In particular, the higher the work engagement, the higher the indirect effect, but the lower the direct effect. Additionally, no mediation of psychological distress and moderation of work engagement was observed in the relationship between patient-related stressor and recovery attitude; however, work engagement directly increased recovery attitude. Results of the SEM test showed a satisfactory fit of the final model.

CONCLUSIONS

Work engagement facilitates recovery attitude and increases the indirect effect of patient-related stressor on job satisfaction through psychological distress. However, work engagement decreases the direct effect not mediated by psychological distress.

IMPACT

This study addresses an essential topic, that is, psychiatric nurse job outcomes (job satisfaction and recovery attitude) are negatively influenced by patient-related stressor. Work engagement has multiple beneficial effects on outcomes as both a facilitator and moderator; thus, programs that improve work engagement are useful for psychiatric nurses. Furthermore, programs may be enhanced considering that work engagement decreases the direct effect of patient-related stressor on job satisfaction.

Impact of the Stress Status of Employees on the Enterprise Technology Management Cost Through Matter-Element Analysis Under Psychological Health Education

In this study, in order to analyze the stress sources and stress-coping strategies of employees in construction enterprises, to explore the influencing factors of enterprise technical management cost, and to offer suggestions for mental health education of employees, 372 employees of Shandong Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. were selected for a questionnaire survey. The influences of stress sources and stress-coping strategies on the mental health of employees were compared, based on different demographic variables. The evaluation model was constructed using the matter-element analysis to rank the factors influencing the enterprise technology management cost. The results showed that the stress value of work characteristics was the highest (4.26 ± 0.511), followed by the organizational structure and atmosphere (4.15 ± 0.382); stress-coping strategies at the individual level (1.84 ± 0.315) scored higher than that at the organizational level (1.67 ± 0.248) (P < 0.05). Notable differences were observed in balance between work and family between males and females (P < 0.05); in work characteristics, role orientation, personal relationship, and balance between work and family between subjects of different ages (P < 0.05); in work characteristics, and balance between work and family between the married and the unmarried (P < 0.05); and in role stress and work characteristics between subjects in different positions (P < 0.05). The evaluation results revealed that the factors influencing the technology management cost of enterprises included price index, development cost, fixed investment proportion, power equipment rate, mechanical artificial intelligence, labor cost, rate of technical equipment, the output value, informatization of technology management, and national policy. In conclusion, the two major sources of stress for employees in Luoyang Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. were as follows: (1) work characteristics and (2) organizational structure and atmosphere. Besides, many employees adopted the stress-coping strategies at the individual level, and enterprises needed to strengthen the psychological health education for employees at the organizational level. In practice, the enterprise needed to add importance to the development of mechanical artificial intelligence, informatization of technology management, and national policy.

Newly graduated nurses' perceptions of work environment: A cross-sectional study in China

AIM

To assess the attitudes of newly graduated nurses in China toward their work environment and identify the factors affecting their perception.

BACKGROUND

Newly graduated nurses are the primary supply to cover the nursing shortage, but their stressful transition into clinical work has contributed to high turnover for decades. Although serving as a source of stress, the work environment can also be a source of support for new nurses.

METHODS

A total of 2361 new nurses at 31 tertiary hospitals in 20 provinces were surveyed from June to November 2018, using the Chinese version of the Practice Environment Scale-Nursing Work Index. Basic information and their perception about work environment were collected.

RESULTS

New nurses rated their work environment with an overall score of 84.67 (12.85). Multiple linear regression identified that education level, monthly income, hospital type and location, participation (or not) in standardized training programmes and having (or not) a mentor/preceptor were factors significantly associated with their perception of the work environment.

CONCLUSION

The perception of newly graduated nurses in China was mainly positive overall. Nursing managers may take full advantage of factors affecting the perception of work environment to support newly graduated nurses better, to help their retention and transition.

SUMMARY STATEMENT

What is already known about the topic? Newly graduated nurses experience transition shock at the beginning of their work. Supportive work environments can help successful transition. What this paper adds? Newly graduated nurses are not fully supported in their work environment. Staffing and resource inadequacy were the poorest environmental factors. Residency programmes had the most impact on the perceptions of newly graduated nurses about their work environment.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

These results can guide nursing managers to support the newly graduated nurses better in their transition process, thus helping retention of nursing human resource.

Does workplace violence, empathy, and communication influence occupational stress among mental health nurses?

Workplace violence is a major cause of occupational stress among mental health nurses, particularly those working in acute care. This study investigated the occurrence of occupational stress among mental health nurses in psychiatric hospitals and explored whether workplace violence, empathy, and communication skills influenced occupational stress levels in this population. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Chinese Nursing Work Stress Scale, Workplace Violence Scale, Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Health Professions version, and Nurses' Clinic Communication Competence Scale were administered to 539 mental health nurses from three top-grade tertiary research hospitals in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. The analysis revealed a high level of job stress (3.06 ± 0.69) and a moderate prevalence of workplace violence (6.21 ± 2.94) existed among participants when compared with among other nurses. Meanwhile, participants' empathy (114.78 ± 15.99) and communication (4.31 ± 0.60) abilities were similar to or higher than those of other nursing populations. Mental health nurses with varying years of practice experience distinct levels of job stress. A linear regression analysis revealed that, while practice years (β = 0.104; P < 0.05) and workplace violence (β = 0.264; P < 0.01) aggravated occupational stress levels, empathy (β = -0.147; P < 0.01) facilitated reductions in stress. Results suggest that reducing workplace violence and improving empathy in therapeutic relationships can limit the pervasiveness of occupational stress among mental health nurses. Having both psychological support and organizational support after a violent incident is essential, and the importance of professional education should be stressed.

Impacts and interactions of COVID-19 response involvement, health-related behaviours, health literacy on anxiety, depression and health-related quality of life among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

We examined impacts and interactions of COVID-19 response involvement, health-related behaviours and health literacy (HL) on anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among healthcare workers (HCWs).

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected 6 April to 19 April 2020 using online-based, self-administered questionnaires.

SETTING

19 hospitals and health centres in Vietnam.

PARTICIPANTS

7 124 HCWs aged 21-60 years.

RESULTS

The COVID-19 response-involved HCWs had higher anxiety likelihood (OR (95% CI)=4.41 (3.53 to 5.51)), higher depression likelihood (OR(95% CI)=3.31 (2.71 to 4.05)) and lower HRQoL score (coefficient, b(95% CI)=-2.14 (-2.89 to -1.38)), compared with uninvolved HCWs. Overall, HCWs who smoked or drank at unchanged/increased levels had higher likelihood of anxiety, depression and lower HRQoL scores; those with unchanged/healthier eating, unchanged/more physical activity and higher HL scores had lower likelihood of anxiety, depression and higher HRQoL scores. In comparison to uninvolved HCWs who smoked or drank at never/stopped/reduced levels, involved HCWs with unchanged/increased smoking or drinking had lower anxiety likelihood (OR(95% CI)=0.34 (0.14 to 0.83)) or (OR(95% CI)=0.26 (0.11 to 0.60)), and lower depression likelihood (OR(95% CI)=0.33 (0.15 to 0.74)) or (OR(95% CI)=0.24 (0.11 to 0.53)), respectively. In comparison with uninvolved HCWs who exercised at never/stopped/reduced levels, or with those in the lowest HL quartile, involved HCWs with unchanged/increased exercise or with one-quartile HL increment reported lower anxiety likelihood (OR(95% CI)=0.50 (0.31 to 0.81)) or (OR(95% CI)=0.57 (0.45 to 0.71)), lower depression likelihood (OR(95% CI)=0.40 (0.27 to 0.61)) or (OR(95% CI)=0.63 (0.52 to 0.76)), and higher HRQoL scores (b(95% CI)=2.08 (0.58 to 3.58)), or (b(95% CI)=1.10 (0.42 to 1.78)), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Physical activity and higher HL were found to protect against anxiety and depression and were associated with higher HRQoL. Unexpectedly, smoking and drinking were also found to be coping behaviours. It is important to have strategic approaches that protect HCWs' mental health and HRQoL.

Effect of Aggression Management Training on Perceived Stress Levels of Nurses Working in Mental Health Care Settings in Jordan

The current study investigated the effect of an aggression management training course on reducing perceived stress levels of nurses working in mental health care settings in Jordan. This quasi-experimental pre/post study included 83 nurses (44 male, 39 female; mean age = 33 years) who completed a sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire and the Arabic Version of the Perceived Stress Scale 10-Items Questionnaire. Participants attended 32 hours of an aggression management training course and then answered the questionnaires for a second time. Female nurses reported significantly higher stress levels than male nurses before and after the training course. Paired-samples t test showed a significant decrease in the mean total score of perceived stress of all nurses after attending the training course. The results of this study highlight the need to design and implement aggression management courses, as such training can improve nurses' mental health and perceived stress levels. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 58(10), 32-38.].

Newly qualified nurses' perceptions of working at mental health facilities: A qualitative study

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC?: Newly qualified nurses often feel overwhelmed by the challenges of the work environment and struggle to transition into healthcare work environments. Nurses require opportunities during the transition period to develop both competence and confidence in their ability to practise independently. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Newly qualified mental health nurses experience fear during their adaptation period, especially when they perceive mental healthcare users as dangerous and the working environment as risky, with little concern for their safety. Nurses new to the mental health environment learn from accepting responsibility, taking on challenges and making adjustments, in order to develop confidence as mental healthcare professionals. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Nursing management should ensure a safe and supportive mental healthcare environment. The potential for and consequences of negative stereotyping of patients among mental health nurses should be acknowledged and addressed as it may hinder the smooth adaptation of newly qualified nurses. Although stressful experiences can help mental health nurses to develop confidence and skills to manage future demanding situations, newly qualified nurses need to be given appropriate support and debriefing to ensure challenging situations do not "go the wrong way" and decrease confidence levels. Abstract Introduction Much has been written about the experiences of newly qualified nurses in their first year of employment, yet not much has been heard from the perspectives of newly qualified nurses working in mental health facilities. Aim To explore and describe the adaptation process of newly qualified nurses working in public mental health facilities in South Africa. Method Following a qualitative descriptive design, 11 newly qualified nurses in their first 6-18 months of employment were purposively selected from three public mental health facilities in South Africa. Data collected through unstructured individual interviews were thematically analysed. Results Four themes emerged from the analysis: fear related to the mental healthcare environment; self-doubt upon meeting the expectations of the inter-professional team; ways to adjust to the challenges; and confidence as mental healthcare professionals. Discussion During the adaptation process newly qualified nurses working in mental health facilities need support to overcome their initial fears and develop self-confidence in both managerial and therapeutic realms. Implications for practice Management of mental healthcare facilities needs to be cognisant of the importance of creating a supportive and safe environment that discourages negative stereotyping of patients and fosters newly qualified nurses' adaptation.