Transition experiences of newly graduated Filipino nurses in a resource-scarce rural health care setting: A qualitative study.

PROBLEM: Without a doubt, the transition to a professional nursing role is a challenging and stressful experience for many new nurses, regardless of where they are employed; yet, no study has been conducted to comprehend in detail the transition experiences of newly graduated nurses employed in a resource-scarce rural health care setting. PURPOSE: This study describes the transition experiences of newly graduated Filipino nurses during their initial clinical placement process. METHODS: A qualitative phenomenological approach using structured interviews with 15 newly graduated Filipino nurses were used along with the Coliazzi's methodological framework for data analysis. FINDINGS: Four distinct themes emerged from the content analysis, as follows: experiencing transition shock, feeling pressured, learning excitement, and needing support. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to the findings of other international studies, newly graduated Filipino nurses described their transition experiences as a stressful and challenging journey. Both academic and nursing administration team members can play key roles in facilitating a smooth transition and the integration of new nurses into the nursing workforce through the employment of evidence-based educational and structured organizational strategies.

Perceptions of organizational support and its impact on nurses' job outcomes.

PROBLEM: Strong organizational support can promote a sense of well-being and positive work behaviors in nurses. However, despite the importance of organizational support in nursing, this topic remains unexplored in the Philippines. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the impact of organizational support perceptions on nurses' work outcomes (organizational commitment, work autonomy, work performance, job satisfaction, job stress, and turnover intention). METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional research design was adopted in this study to collect data from one hundred eighty (180) nurses in the Philippines during the months of September 2015 to December 2015. Seven standardized tools were used: the Job Satisfaction Index, the Job Stress Scale, the Burnout Measure Scale, the Work Autonomy Scale, the Six Dimension Scale of Nursing Performance, the Turnover Intention Inventory Scale, and the Perception of Organizational Support Scale. FINDINGS: Nurses employed in government-owned hospitals perceived low levels of organizational support as compared to private hospitals. Significant correlations were identified between perceived organizational support (POS), hospital bed capacity, and nurses' work status. No significant correlations were found between perceived organizational supportand the six outcomes perceived by nurses in the Philippines (organizational commitment, work performance, job autonomy, job satisfaction, job stress, and turnover intention). CONCLUSION: Perceptions of organizational support were low in Filipino nurses compared to findings in other international studies. Perceived organizational support did not influence job outcomes in nurses.

Stress and coping strategies among nursing students: an international study.

BACKGROUND: Mounting literature on stress and coping in nursing students are available; however, most of the findings are confined to a single cultural group. AIMS: This study was conducted to determine the level of stress, its sources and coping strategies among nursing students from three countries: Greece, the Philippines and Nigeria. METHODS: Using a descriptive, comparative research design, 547 nursing students (161 Greek nursing students, 153 Filipino nursing students, 233 Nigerian nursing students) participated in the study from August 2015 to April 2016. Two standardized instruments were used, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Coping Behavior Inventory (CBI). RESULTS: Findings revealed that the degree of stress and the type of stressors and coping styles utilized by nursing students differ according to the country of origin. The year of study predicted overall stress (ß = -0.149, p < 0.001) while advanced age predicted overall coping (ß = 0.008, p = 0.037) in the nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening nursing students' positive coping skills may be helpful for them to effectively deal with various stressors during their educational experiences while maximizing learning. Implementing empirically tested approaches maybe useful to prevent the recurrence of stress and lessen its impact such as stress management counseling, counseling programs, establishing peer and family support systems, and formulating hospital policies that will support nursing students.

Stress and ways of coping among nurse managers: An integrative review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To appraise and synthesise empirical studies examining sources of occupational stress and ways of coping utilised by nurse managers when dealing with stress. BACKGROUND: The Nurse Manager's role is challenging yet draining and stressful and has adverse consequences on an individual's overall health and well-being, patients' outcomes and organisational productivity. Considerable research has been carried out; however, an updated and broader perspective on this critical organisational issue has not been performed. DESIGN: An integrative review. METHODS: Five databases (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, SCOPUS, PubMed, PsychINFO and MEDLINE) were searched to identify relevant articles. Search terms and MeSH terms included: "charge nurse," "coping," "coping strategy," "coping style," "psychological adaptation," "psychological stress," "stressors," "nurse manager" and "unit manager." Twenty-two articles were included in this review. Reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement guidelines. RESULTS: Four themes were identified: moderate stress levels, common sources of stress, ways of coping and the impact of nurses' characteristics on stress. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse managers experienced moderate levels of stress mainly from heavy workloads, lack of resources and financial responsibilities. Enhancing social support and promoting job control were seen as important in reducing work stress and its related consequences. Additional studies using a more rigorous method and a larger sample size preferably in multicultural settings would shed more light on this topic. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Hospital and nurse administrators play an important role in promoting supportive structures for daily professional practice for nurse managers through staffing, organisational resources, support services, leadership and stress management training.