Strategies for Coping with Stress among Medical Staff who Work in the Operating Theatre

Introduction. Stress is a constant presence in the work of health care professionals who come into contact with sick and suffering people every day. Medical personnel must possess both professional knowledge, skills, and social competence to best help patients. Coping strategies for stress among medical professionals can vary. One factor that may influence the strategies chosen is personality. Type D personality combines traits of negative emotionality and social inhibition. This personality type predisposes to experiencing increased levels of stress. Aim. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of stress and coping strategies among operating theatre staff. Material and Methods. 100 operating theater employees were surveyed. The study group consisted of nurses/nurses, paramedics, doctors. Questionnaires were used in the study: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Inventory for the Measurement of Coping with Stress (Mini-COPE), Type D Scale (DS-14) and self-administered questionnaire. Results. Almost half of the subjects (47%) reported high levels of stress and 35 subjects (35%) reported medium levels of stress. The most common coping strategies used to manage stress were active coping, planning, positive reevaluation, acceptance and seeking emotional support. 41% of the respondents demonstrated a Type D personality. Negative emotionality was more strongly indicated than social inhibition. Conclusions. The highest levels of stress are mainly experienced by young women, not in a relationship, with short work experience. Systemic psychological support should be introduced, especially targeted at this group. Due to the shortage of medical staff, measures to prevent professional burnout should also be implemented. A possible solution could be classes or trainings before starting work. Their aim would be to prepare for stressful moments in future work and to teach the most effective ways of coping with stress. (JNNN 2022;11(2):59–64).