Coping Strategies Adopted by Nurses and Midwives to Mitigate the Impact of Occupational Stress in the Catholic Health Service of the Western Region of Ghana

Abstract

This study investigated the type of coping strategies nurses and midwives in the Catholic Health Service of the Western Region of Ghana adopted to mitigate the effects of occupational stress. The study also looked at the association between occupational stress and coping strategies among nurses and midwives. A quantitative research approach was adopted for the study. Specifically, the study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A sample size of 300 was used for the study. A questionnaire based on the Coping Strategies Inventory developed by Tobin, Holroyd, Reynolds, and Wigal was adopted. The short form of the inventory was used. For statistical purposes, One-Sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, mean and standard deviation, and Pearson Moment Correlation Coefficients were employed to analyze the data gathered. The results of the study revealed that nurses and midwives in the Catholic Health Service of the Western Region adopted both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies but predominantly problem-focused coping strategies to mitigate the effects of occupational stress. The study’s results also revealed that occupational stress has a weak positive significant relationship with coping strategies between nurses and midwives in the Catholic Health Service of the Western Region of Ghana. The study recommended that nurses and midwives be trained on the appropriate types of coping strategies to deal with occupational stress. It was also recommended that nurses and midwives be trained on stress management strategies.