The Effect of Emotion Regulation Training on Occupational Stress of Critical Care Nurses.

INTRODUCTION: Occupational stress is a common, serious and costly health problem in work environment. Nursing is a very stressful job high level of stress in this job affects nurses' physical and mental health.

AIM: To investigate the effect of emotion regulation training of occupational stress on critical care nurses in two teaching hospitals in Sanandaj, Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This interventional study was conducted on 60 nurses working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Critical Care Unit (CCU) in two teaching hospitals in Sanandaj, Iran. Data were collected using Expanded Nursing Stress Scale (ENSS) questionnaire. The questionnaire in both intervention and control groups before and after the training sessions of emotion regulation training were completed. Data were analysed using SPSS Version 20. Statistical indices such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation and also t-test, Chi-square test and paired t-test were used.

RESULTS: Mean occupation stress score in the intervention group before emotion regulation training was 136.6±24.6 and after training was 113.02±16.2 (p = 0.001). Occupational stress dimensions including; conflict with physicians, problems with peers, workload, uncertainty concerning treatment and problems related to patients and their families in the intervention group compared with the control group was statistically significant (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION: Emotion regulation training is effective in reducing occupation stress of critical care nurses.