Relations between stress and coping in federal universities nursing teachers of a Brazilian state-analytical study

Abstract

Objective: To relate stress and coping in the labor environment of Federal Universities nursing teachers in Rio Grande do Sul.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional, analytic and quantitative study conducted with 108 teachers from Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. For data collection, there were used: Form with personal/occupational data; Stress Scale at Work, Inventory Coping Strategies. Data were analyzed through the inferential statistics. The project of this investigation was approved by the CEP/UFSM, under protocol number CAAE: 0380.0.243.000-10.

Results: There was predominance of teachers with low stress (93.52%). The Social Support was the highest average Coping factor (x̄ = 1.98, SD = 0.53). There was a significant negative association of low intensity between stress and factors of Acceptance of Responsibility and Escape-avoidance. There was no significant correlation between low stress and coping strategies focused on the problem.

Conclusions: The teachers had low stress and found the use of coping strategies focused on emotions. The results are opposed to the hypothesis of this study that teachers with low stress would use coping strategies focused on problem. Programs aiming to enhance the use of coping strategies, especially those focused on emotion, should be developed to reduce the stress levels of nursing teachers.