Blood pressure and level of optimism – is there a relationship in shift nurses?

A.I. Tsipkalo; Mariya I. Marushchak

Summary. Shift work is an occupational stressor. Researchers have shown that shift work is associated with a lack of sleep, loss of its quality, and a high risk of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of the study– to analyze the level of blood pressure in nurses of therapeutic and surgical departments who work in shifts, and to establish its relationship with the level of dispositional optimism. Materials and Methods. 40 nurses who worked in shifts took part in the study: 20 in the therapeutic department and 20 in the surgical department. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (in mm Hg) were measured according to a standard protocol. Dispositional optimism (LOT-R) was assessed using a questionnaire adapted by O. A. Sychova. Results. 65 % of the nurses in the therapeutic department and 45 % in the surgical department were diagnosed with arterial hypertension based on the level of blood pressure. The distribution of the blood pressure level by degrees showed that most respondents had stage 1 hypertension, which did not depend on the profile of the department. When analyzing the dependence of the level of blood pressure on the individual characteristics of the respondents, when assessing the level of optimism, it was found that the level of optimism was probably higher among nurses in the group of optimal + normal + high normal blood pressure, compared to the data of the group with hypertension. Thus, in the optimal+normal+high normal blood pressure group, 47.98 % of nurses in the general population working in shifts gave a positive answer to the statement "In uncertain situations, I usually hope for the best", in 39.89 % – to the statement " I am always optimistic about the future" and 47.98 % – to the statement "In general, I expect that more good things will happen to me than bad things." Analyzing the dependence of blood pressure indicators on the individual characteristics of the respondents, in case of assessing the level of optimism, it is found that nurses who gave a negative answer to the statement "I always look to the future with optimism" have significantly higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure indicators than positive answers, respectively, by 7.41 % and 9.20 %. Conclusions. Levels of optimism were likely higher in nurses with optimal, normal, and high-normal blood pressure relative to nurses with hypertension, with a trend toward higher blood pressure levels in respondents with lower levels of optimism

blood pressure, arterial hypertension, dispositional optimism, nurses, therapeutic department, surgical department, shift work

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