Reviewing nursing stress according to a proposed coping-adaption framework.

Is stress a common problem for nurses who work in intensive care units (ICUs)? Stress-coping theory is useful in analyzing ineffective coping and its outcome, burnout. This article compares stress among nurses in ICUs to stress in non-ICU nurses. Effects of stresses, such as nursing dissatisfaction and the loss of nurses to the profession, will be discussed. Research and commentaries regarding stress in ICU nurses v non-ICU nurses will be reviewed. Areas for future research will be presented.