Hardiness level among registered nurses

The purpose of this study was to learn more about the coping ability of registered nurses. This study examined the hardiness level of registered nurses. The three components of hardiness are: (a) commitment to one's job, (b) an individual's enjoyment of a challenge, and (c) a person's desire to control the work environment. Registered nurses (n = 130) at an approximately 370-bed tertiary medical center complete the Personal Views Survey that measured the commitment, challenge, control, and overall hardiness level of the subjects. The data compared various subsets of registered nurses using the t test (p = .05). Nurse managers (n = 13) had no statistical difference in any of the components of hardiness to total hardiness when compared with staff nurses (n = 109). Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses (n = 54) had not statistical difference in the components of hardiness or overall hardiness scores when compared to non-ICU registered nurses (n = 74). Registered nurses who had 5 or less years of experience (n = 53) had significantly higher level hardiness scores than registered nurses with more than 5 years of experience (n = 77). This could be secondary to job dissatisfaction and burnout. A trend in the data showed registered nurses with a bachelor's degree or more had higher scores than nurses with associate and diploma degrees. The data were not statistically significant at the .05 level. Other findings showed males (n = 6) scored significantly higher on the control component of hardiness as compared to females (n = 122). The data also showed that nurses who were previously exposed to hardiness (n = 18) scored significantly higher in hardness than registered nurses who were not previously exposed to hardiness (n = 112). These findings demonstrate that more research needs to be conducted on this area of hardiness in the nursing field. The nursing profession must learn how to develop and maintain their hardiness level throughout their careers.