Nursing profession is subjected to high stress owing to its nature of work. Stress can result from various internal and environmental demands and is manifested physiologically and psychologically. The present study was conducted to determine stress, predictors of stress and stress symptoms as experienced by nurses in a tertiary care hospital of North India. The present study was descriptive in nature involving 103 nurses working in special units of the hospital. The nurses were selected conveniently. Demographic profile sheet, modified workplace stress scale (WSS) and Workplace stress symptom scale (WSSS) were administered to collect the data. Findings of the study revealed that 50% of the nurses experienced low stress while 28% and 22% experienced moderate and high stress respectively. Further, job challenge, role- conflict, self- conflict, workload, lack of job autonomy, informal support and goal clarity, improper performance appraisal, poor inter- personal relations and job insecurity were identified as significant predictors of stress. Various stress symptoms as experienced by nurses such as exhaustion, irritation, difficulty in concentration, weariness and feebleness, nervousness, reduced work performance, insomnia and reduced self- confidence, indifference towards anything and depression were also reported. The findings of the study give insight into the significant predictors of stress which can be buffered using various stress management strategies by the nurse managers.

The incidence of, and complications related to bedsores in hospitalized patients have not undergone any significant reduction when compared to the understanding of the pathogenesis and development of protocols for their prevention. We designed a prospective, unicenter, quasi-experimental model to study the effect of a planned educational intervention on the caregivers of 50 patients admitted in the emergency medical unit of our institute. Caregivers of critically ill patients with no bedsores to start with were taken for the study, and after an initial assessment of the knowledge of bedsores, the health talk on prevention of pressure sore was given and the procedures of pressure point care and position change were demonstrated. Reassessment was done at 72 hours, of the status of bedsores, the knowledge of the caregivers regarding bed sore care and the practices carried out in the patients for their prevention. After the implementation of this program, though the knowledge among the caregivers had improved, 12 patients (24%) developed bedsores and the incidence was more where the practices of prevention and skin care were not carried out as instructed. Hence we conclude that educating the patient bystanders regarding the assessment and prevention of bedsores can reduce their occurrence in emergency units.