Date

4-29-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)

Chair

Pamela C. Moore

Keywords

emergency nursing, occupational stress, resilience, coping, organizational support

Disciplines

Counseling

Abstract

This qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of occupational stress and resiliency among emergency department (ED) nurses in a high-acuity urban hospital environment. The study was grounded in the transactional model of stress and coping as proposed by Lazarus and Folkman, conservation of resources (COR) theory as proposed by Hobfoll, and the job demands-resources (JD-R) model to examined how ED nurses perceive workplace stressors, engage available resources, and develop resilience with ongoing clinical demands. The main research question unpacked how occupational stress affects the ED nurses how resilience impact coping, recovery, and professional functioning. It utilized a phenomenological research design and purposive sampling to enroll 10 ED nurses with different professional experience levels. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, supported by field notes and document review. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify shared meanings and patterns across participant narratives. Five key themes emerged: the emotional burden of emergency care work, stress spillover to personal life, coping strategies development, depending on the experience level, resilience as a dynamic process that can be learned and improved, and organizational support as a key determinant of stress and resilience. The researchers have concluded that although occupational stress is an inseparable part of emergency nursing, resilience is shaped and fortified by experience and the presence of organizational and social support systems.

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