Stress in mental health nursing

Although there have been growing concerns about stress in nursing over recent years, research has primarily focused on general nurses. This paper reports on stress in mental health nursing. The data were obtained, via questionnaires, from mental health nurses at the end of their training. Four-hundred and forty-seven questionnaires were returned, an 80% response rate. Open-ended questions were asked about the nurses’ experiences of stress during their time as a student, and what they anticipated would be stressful once qualified. A wide range of stresses were identified, many similar to those reported in previous studies. The open-ended nature of the questions, however, provided greater detail about the nature of stress in mental health nursing than has been reported hitherto. This detail points to broader perspectives which might be taken in future research which, in turn, may lead to a fuller understanding of nurses’ experiences of stress.