Stress is a mechanism of the body to safeguard itself when a person pushes individual limits to threaten the intrapersonal psychological and physical borders. Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval Essay. Although it is a mechanism of the body to safeguard itself, prolonged stress can result in anxiety. The health sector is considered to be one of the most significant fields with stressful work environments since it serves individuals with intense stress (Nazari, Mirzamohamadi & Yousefi, 2015). Therefore, healthcare professionals experience intense stress more often. Current literature reveals that nurses are the healthcare professionals who experience intense stress and anxiety. According to Veiga et al., (2019), this is because most nurses are women, have different roles and responsibilities, spend the most time in contact with relatives and patients, and have an integral role in the healthcare team. Thus, the nursing profession is regarded as the most stressful occupation. ORDER A PLAGIARISM -FREE PAPER NOW Setting Stress occurs among nurses in all healthcare settings. However, it is more common among nurses working in PMH (primary mental health), ED, ICUs, ORs, and long term care settings due to the intense nature of nursing care and nursing processes required for patients in those settings (Wiglesworth & Farnworth, 2016). High-Level Description of the Problem Generally, hospitals are considered the most stressful work environments since healthcare professionals are frequently exposed to stressors such as cognitive and physical workloads, time pressure, inadequate resources, and individual responsibilities (Yang, Tang & Zhou, 2018). Repeated exposure to stress has detrimental effects on an individual’s mental and physical health. Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval Essay. Persistent stress activates the autonomic nervous system and the HPA axis and this increases the stress hormone levels which can harm the immune system. Besides, both acute and chronic stresses are associated with negative outcomes such as depression and anxiety and decreases work performance (Eren & Oztunc, 2017). Current evidence reveals that nurses are the healthcare providers with the highest risk of mental and physical stress-related issues such as depression, chronic fatigue, and anxiety. Nurses report the highest levels of occupational burnout caused by long-term emotional and physical exhaustion, chronic stress at work, decreased interest, and on-job motivation. Effect of the Problem Stress is a huge problem among nurses whose most integral contributing factors include consecutive working shifts, prolonged working hours, lack of rest breaks, and insufficient sleep. Stress contributes to nurses’ resilience, which is nurses’ ability to successfully cope despite adverse situations (Chang, Lin & Chang, 2017).Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval Essay. Nursing stress is strongly related to negative health outcomes and the quality of nursing care. Stress can affect nurses’ physical health by increasing their risk of injuries, and psychological health by increasing nurses’ risk of cognitive, depression, behavioral, and psychomotor disorders (Nejati, Rodiek & Shepley, 2016). Psychological and physical fatigue can result in decreased nursing performance and medical errors. Significance and Implications for Nursing Practice In nursing practice, nurses should consider undergoing aromatherapy massage to improve the quality of their sleep and overall health. Nurse leaders and administrators should implement aromatherapy massage, breaks, and relaxation techniques as part of employee health improvement programs since it helps to alleviate anxiety, depression, and fatigue and promotes sleep. Montibeler et al., (2018) highlight that, organizations should update and improve their policies and procedures on staff breaks as well as creating well-designed break areas. Areas to conduct staff breaks have a positive impact on the rates of job satisfaction, performance, and retention of nurses. They also decrease job-associated healthcare concerns among nurses. Proposed Solution Relaxation techniques such as autogenic training, stretching, progressive relaxation, breathing exercises, and meditation have been evidenced as effective and most valuable approaches to manage the stress response. This can be implemented through the regulation of attention of regulation of muscle tone. Veiga et al., (2019) explain that relaxation techniques improve the regulation activity of the HPA axis leading to a decrease in the concentration levels of stress hormones, decreases negative affective states, and occupational burnout rates. Another stress reduction strategy is aromatherapy which continues to become a broad area for nursing (Montibeler et al., 2018). Aromatherapy seeks to promote the overall health and wellbeing of the mind, body, and emotions using the natural aroma of therapeutic plants. Capstone Project Topic Selection and Approval Essay. References Chang, Y. Y., Lin, C. L., & Chang, L. Y. (2017). The effects of aromatherapy massage on sleep quality of nurses on monthly rotating night shifts. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2017. ORDER A PLAGIARISM -FREE PAPER NOW Eren, N. B., & Oztunc, G. (2017). The effects of aromatherapy on the stress and anxiety levels of nurses working in intensive care units. International Journal of Caring Sciences, 10(3), 1615-1623.