Three-hundred and thirty-three surveys were distributed to male and female nurses
employed at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Salem, Virginia. The survey was
designed to determine if nurses who smoke perceive more stress from their jobs.
Of the 124 nurses who responded to the survey, there were no significant differences in
ratings of perceived stress between nurses who reported that they were current smokers and
those who reported that they were non-smokers. Overall, the mean rating of perceived stress for
both smokers and non-smokers were rated low to average on a six-point Likert-type Scale.
Although the relationship between the smoking and perceived stress items on the survey did not
reach statistical significance, over fifty percent of the respondents reported that they would be
interested in participating in a stress management program; and a higher percentage of smokers
reported an interest in stress management than non-smokers. No significant differences were
found in the coping methods between smokers and non-smokers in reporting how they would
cope with two specific stressful work situations. The results of this study indicate that, for this
particular population, those who smoke do not perceive significantly higher levels of stress from
their jobs than non-smokers.
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