Quantifying Occupational Stress in Intensive Care Unit Nurses: An Applied Naturalistic Study of Correlations Among Stress, Heart Rate, Electrodermal Activity, and Skin Temperature

Nima Ahmadi; Farzan Sasangohar; Tariq Nisar; Valerie Danesh; Ethan Larsen; Ineen Sultana; Rita Bosetti

doi:10.1177/00187208211040889

Quantifying Occupational Stress in Intensive Care Unit Nurses: An Applied Naturalistic Study of Correlations Among Stress, Heart Rate, Electrodermal Activity, and Skin Temperature

Nima Ahmadi, Farzan Sasangohar, Tariq Nisar, Valerie Danesh, Ethan Larsen, Ineen Sultana, Rita Bosetti

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To identify physiological correlates to stress in intensive care unit nurses.

BACKGROUND: Most research on stress correlates are done in laboratory environments; naturalistic investigation of stress remains a general gap.

METHOD: Electrodermal activity, heart rate, and skin temperatures were recorded continuously for 12-hr nursing shifts (23 participants) using a wrist-worn wearable technology (Empatica E4).

RESULTS: Positive correlations included stress and heart rate (ρ = .35, p < .001), stress and skin temperature (ρ = .49, p < .05), and heart rate and skin temperatures (ρ = .54, p = .0008).

DISCUSSION: The presence and direction of some correlations found in this study differ from those anticipated from prior literature, illustrating the importance of complementing laboratory research with naturalistic studies. Further work is warranted to recognize nursing activities associated with a high level of stress and the underlying reasons associated with changes in physiological responses.

APPLICATION: Heart rate and skin temperature may be used for real-time detection of stress, but more work is needed to validate such surrogate measures.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	159-172
Number of pages	14
Journal	Human Factors
Volume	64
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/00187208211040889
State	Published - Feb 2022

Keywords

critical care
job stress
naturalistic study
nursing and nursing systems
physiological measurement
Galvanic Skin Response
Intensive Care Units
Heart Rate/physiology
Humans
Occupational Stress
Skin Temperature

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Human Factors and Ergonomics
Behavioral Neuroscience
Applied Psychology

Access to Document

10.1177/00187208211040889

Cite this

@article{6f13ce565470484690227afdd76f2b88,

title = "Quantifying Occupational Stress in Intensive Care Unit Nurses: An Applied Naturalistic Study of Correlations Among Stress, Heart Rate, Electrodermal Activity, and Skin Temperature",

abstract = "OBJECTIVE: To identify physiological correlates to stress in intensive care unit nurses.BACKGROUND: Most research on stress correlates are done in laboratory environments; naturalistic investigation of stress remains a general gap.METHOD: Electrodermal activity, heart rate, and skin temperatures were recorded continuously for 12-hr nursing shifts (23 participants) using a wrist-worn wearable technology (Empatica E4).RESULTS: Positive correlations included stress and heart rate (ρ = .35, p < .001), stress and skin temperature (ρ = .49, p < .05), and heart rate and skin temperatures (ρ = .54, p = .0008). DISCUSSION: The presence and direction of some correlations found in this study differ from those anticipated from prior literature, illustrating the importance of complementing laboratory research with naturalistic studies. Further work is warranted to recognize nursing activities associated with a high level of stress and the underlying reasons associated with changes in physiological responses.APPLICATION: Heart rate and skin temperature may be used for real-time detection of stress, but more work is needed to validate such surrogate measures.",

keywords = "critical care, job stress, naturalistic study, nursing and nursing systems, physiological measurement, Galvanic Skin Response, Intensive Care Units, Heart Rate/physiology, Humans, Occupational Stress, Skin Temperature",

author = "Nima Ahmadi and Farzan Sasangohar and Tariq Nisar and Valerie Danesh and Ethan Larsen and Ineen Sultana and Rita Bosetti",

note = "Funding Information: Work reported herein was partially funded by the Constance M. and Byron F. Dyer Fellowship at the Houston Methodist Research Institute (awarded to Dr. Sasangohar, 2018-2019, and Dr. Larsen, 2019-2020). The authors thank Jacob M. Kolman scientific writer of the Houston Methodist Center for Outcomes Research, for critical review and language editing on drafts of this manuscript. Valerie Danesh is now at Baylor Scott & White Health, Center for Applied Health Research, Dallas, TX, USA. Ethan Larsen is now at the Department of Radiology and the Center for Healthcare Quality and Analytics, The Children{\textquoteright}s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Rita Bosetti is now at Oraculum Healthcare Consultancy LLC. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright 2021, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.",

year = "2022",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1177/00187208211040889",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "64",

pages = "159--172",

journal = "Human Factors",

issn = "0018-7208",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quantifying Occupational Stress in Intensive Care Unit Nurses

T2 - An Applied Naturalistic Study of Correlations Among Stress, Heart Rate, Electrodermal Activity, and Skin Temperature

AU - Ahmadi, Nima

AU - Sasangohar, Farzan

AU - Nisar, Tariq

AU - Danesh, Valerie

AU - Larsen, Ethan

AU - Sultana, Ineen

AU - Bosetti, Rita

N1 - Funding Information: Work reported herein was partially funded by the Constance M. and Byron F. Dyer Fellowship at the Houston Methodist Research Institute (awarded to Dr. Sasangohar, 2018-2019, and Dr. Larsen, 2019-2020). The authors thank Jacob M. Kolman scientific writer of the Houston Methodist Center for Outcomes Research, for critical review and language editing on drafts of this manuscript. Valerie Danesh is now at Baylor Scott & White Health, Center for Applied Health Research, Dallas, TX, USA. Ethan Larsen is now at the Department of Radiology and the Center for Healthcare Quality and Analytics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA. Rita Bosetti is now at Oraculum Healthcare Consultancy LLC. Publisher Copyright: © Copyright 2021, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

PY - 2022/2

Y1 - 2022/2

N2 - OBJECTIVE: To identify physiological correlates to stress in intensive care unit nurses.BACKGROUND: Most research on stress correlates are done in laboratory environments; naturalistic investigation of stress remains a general gap.METHOD: Electrodermal activity, heart rate, and skin temperatures were recorded continuously for 12-hr nursing shifts (23 participants) using a wrist-worn wearable technology (Empatica E4).RESULTS: Positive correlations included stress and heart rate (ρ = .35, p < .001), stress and skin temperature (ρ = .49, p < .05), and heart rate and skin temperatures (ρ = .54, p = .0008). DISCUSSION: The presence and direction of some correlations found in this study differ from those anticipated from prior literature, illustrating the importance of complementing laboratory research with naturalistic studies. Further work is warranted to recognize nursing activities associated with a high level of stress and the underlying reasons associated with changes in physiological responses.APPLICATION: Heart rate and skin temperature may be used for real-time detection of stress, but more work is needed to validate such surrogate measures.

AB - OBJECTIVE: To identify physiological correlates to stress in intensive care unit nurses.BACKGROUND: Most research on stress correlates are done in laboratory environments; naturalistic investigation of stress remains a general gap.METHOD: Electrodermal activity, heart rate, and skin temperatures were recorded continuously for 12-hr nursing shifts (23 participants) using a wrist-worn wearable technology (Empatica E4).RESULTS: Positive correlations included stress and heart rate (ρ = .35, p < .001), stress and skin temperature (ρ = .49, p < .05), and heart rate and skin temperatures (ρ = .54, p = .0008). DISCUSSION: The presence and direction of some correlations found in this study differ from those anticipated from prior literature, illustrating the importance of complementing laboratory research with naturalistic studies. Further work is warranted to recognize nursing activities associated with a high level of stress and the underlying reasons associated with changes in physiological responses.APPLICATION: Heart rate and skin temperature may be used for real-time detection of stress, but more work is needed to validate such surrogate measures.

KW - critical care

KW - job stress

KW - naturalistic study

KW - nursing and nursing systems

KW - physiological measurement

KW - Galvanic Skin Response

KW - Intensive Care Units

KW - Heart Rate/physiology

KW - Humans

KW - Occupational Stress

KW - Skin Temperature

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85114313918&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85114313918&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/00187208211040889

DO - 10.1177/00187208211040889

M3 - Article

C2 - 34478340

AN - SCOPUS:85114313918

SN - 0018-7208

VL - 64

SP - 159

EP - 172

JO - Human Factors

JF - Human Factors

IS - 1

ER -

Quantifying Occupational Stress in Intensive Care Unit Nurses: An Applied Naturalistic Study of Correlations Among Stress, Heart Rate, Electrodermal Activity, and Skin Temperature

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this