A Correlational Study to Assess the Percieved Stress and Professional Quality of Life among Nicu Staff Nurses at Selected Hospitals of Bagalkot, with View to Develop an Interventional Package

Background: NICU is a high-stress environment with strained relationships, high turnover, disorganization, and constant emergencies. Nurses face emotional and physical demands, leading to compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, which negatively impact their professional quality of life and their ability to manage patient and family concerns. Methods: A Non-Experimental Descriptive research design, was used for present study. The samples of 100 NICU Staff nurses were selected by purposive sampling technique method. Data was collected by self-structured questionnaires, Perceived stress scale (PSS-14) and Professional quality of life scale (ProQOL-5). The data analysis done by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Findings of the study revealed that 13(13%), 83(83%) and 4(4%) nurses had experienced of low, moderate and high-level stress respectively. domains of Professional quality of life (ProQOL-5) had shown majority of nurses (61(61%), 77(77%) and (82(82%) were having moderate level of compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress respectively. correlation between perceived stress and domains of professional quality of life revealed that significantly weak negative (r = -0.321), weak positive (r = 0.220), and weak positive (r = 0.230) correlation with compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress respectively. "Number of night shifts in month" and "family monthly income" were associated with perceived stress, while "work experience in NICU" associated to professional quality of life. Conclusion: The study concludes that NICU nurses experience moderate stress, negatively impacting their professional quality of life. Implementing stress management strategies is essential to improve their well-being and job satisfaction.