Stress, coping, and general health of nurses who work in units that assist AIDS-carriers and patients with

Abstract

Based on Lazarus and Folkman’s theory about stress and coping, this research aimed at answering questions related to how nurses, who work in two specialized units of a general hospital, evaluate their working environment, their health and how they manage with stressing situations. In the unit of infectious diseases, the nurses’ evaluation of their working environment did not surpass the limits of what is considered as acceptable. In the unit of hematological alterations, the results showed higher stress levels. In both units, the evaluation of their health was considered as satisfactory and the coping strategies were similar.