Effectiveness of an Educational Program about Stress Mitigation on Critical Care Nurses

Background: Due to daily patient care, shift work, unpredictability of critical care environment, critical care nurses face a great amount of stress in workplace which puts them in a real risk for physical, psychosocial upsets and burnout. Aim: this study was to assess the effectiveness of an educational program about knowledge of stress mitigation methods on critical care nurses. Methodology: It was a pre/post interventional, hospital-based study, the study subjects were 200 critical care nurses (34 males 17% and 166 females 83%) working for one year or more in critical care settings (8 units) in five public hospitals, Khartoum state, Sudan. A structured face to face interview questionnaire was used pre and post educational program. The program was done by lectures about stress as work-related hazard, causes of stress, and mitigation methods of Stress, same contents taught in prescribed units as sitting group?s discussion and direct individual educational sessions, all respondents were given training sessions on relaxation exercises techniques. Results: Knowledge about stress as one of work related hazards and causes of stress in critical care areas was improved in post program assessment. Also in result of stress mitigation methods, respondents showed improvement in post educational program assessment. Conclusion: The educational program for critical care nurses had efficient results, evidenced by the improved results of critical care nurses? knowledge about stress as an occupational hazard in critical care setting, causes and their abilities to overcome stress, and mitigation methods of stress in critical care units in post educational program assessment results.