Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Bauer, Gordon

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

This study examined perceived stress levels in ICU nurses and compared them to stress levels commonly reported in the general working population. ICU nurses work in high-pressure environments that involve long shifts, critical patient care, repeated exposure to trauma, and high levels of responsibility, all of which can contribute to increased stress. Stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), along with one open-ended question asking participants to describe their biggest source of stress. Demographic variables including age, gender, education level, years in nursing, and hours worked were also analyzed. Results showed that most participants scored in the high stress range. Compared to other professions ICU nurses experience higher perceived stress than the general population. Family responsibilities were the most commonly reported source of stress, followed by work-related and financial stress. Across demographic groups, stress remained consistently high, suggesting that stress is more strongly related to the ICU environment itself rather than individual differences. These findings support the idea that both workplace demands and personal responsibilities contribute to elevated stress levels in ICU nurses.

Rights

The author has granted New College of Florida the nonexclusive right to archive, make accessible, and distribute for educational purposes this work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The copyright of this work remains with the author.

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