The effect of coping behaviors on nurses' affective reactions to work-generated stressors was assessed, using data gathered from 215 nurses in a medical center hospital in the Midwest. Adaptive coping, reflecting problem-solving behaviors, was found to moderate the relationships of work overload and resource inadequacy with felt stress, and the stressors of resource inadequacy and assignment changes with organizational commitment. Maladaptive coping, representing emotional, self-protective behaviors, had significant main effects on the outcome measures, and was associated with increased felt stress, as well as decreased job satisfaction and organizational commitment.
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