Stress in mental health nursing: findings from the Mental Health Care survey.

Organisational and administrative concerns topped the list of stressors reported by a national sample of hospital and community mental health nurses. Seven of the ten top stressors were listed by both groups. Community nurses also listed inadequate service provision and lack of time to plan treatment. Hospital nurses were most stressed by inadequacy of staffing cover in potentially dangerous situations and low morale at work. Jerome Carson et al believe the findings indicate an urgent need for change at senior NHS management and administration level.