AN ASSESSMENT OF STRESS IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (ICU): AN EXPLORATORY STUDY UTILISING SELF-ASSESSMENT, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND SALIVARY CORTISOL MEASURES

The study investigates exposure to stress by respondents working in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and differences in using three instruments to measure stress. The survey was conducted from September to October 2018 in Dubrava Clinical Hospital in the ICU unit, with forty-one (41) healthcare professi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Društvena istraživanja 2023, Vol.32 (1), p.137-152
Main Authors: ŽIVODER, Ivana, Veronek, Jurica, SAJKO, Melita, Uršulin-Trstenjak, Natalija, RIBIĆ, Rosana, KRANJČEVIĆ-ŠČURIĆ, Mihaela, ŽUPANIĆ, Mara
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Behaviorism
Burnout
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Comparative Psychology
Education
Emergency medical care
Health and medicine and law
Health care
Health services
Heart rate
Hormones
Hospitals
Individual Psychology
Intensive care
Measures
Medical personnel
Normal distribution
Nurses
Organizational Psychology
Physiology
Professional ethics
Professionals
Questionnaires
Salivary cortisol
Self evaluation
Social psychology and group interaction
Software
Stress
Stress measurement
Values
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Summary:The study investigates exposure to stress by respondents working in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and differences in using three instruments to measure stress. The survey was conducted from September to October 2018 in Dubrava Clinical Hospital in the ICU unit, with forty-one (41) healthcare professionals. Three forms of testing were set up: self-evaluation of stress, measurements of physiological indicators, and cortisol levels. The results show a statistically significant difference in mean cortisol levels, with the first sample much higher than other samples. There were significant interactions between skin conduction (SC) and stress levels, where all participants exhibited increases in SC. Heart rate variability (HRV) shows a slight correlation with stress levels in the group possessing substantially more stress experience. Although some differences were observed, all stress elements for professionals working in ICUs indicates that they cope well with stressful situations
ISSN:1330-0288
1848-6096
DOI:10.5559/di.32.1.07