Optimism, proactive coping and quality of life among nurses: A cross-sectional study

Aims and objectives: To assess the optimism and proactive coping use of nurses and examined their influence on quality of life. Background: Nurses are often exposed to challenging situations in the clinical area, which may negatively impact the quality of life of nurses. Hence, being optimistic and proactive may assist nurses to develop a positive outlook towards life, improve overall health, achieve high longevity and low stress levels, and acquire effective coping skills. Design: A descriptive, cross-sectional design. Methods: A convenience sample of 227 nurses working in the two hospitals in the northern Philippines was surveyed in this study using the Revised Life Orientation Test, Proactive Coping Subscale and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF. A multivariate multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the multivariate effect of the demographic characteristics, optimism and proactive coping of respondents on the four dimensions of quality of life. Results: The findings indicate that the nurses had an above-average level of optimism and use of proactive coping. Associations between some of the nurses’ demographic and work-related variables and their optimism and proactive coping were established. The nurses reported that their highest quality of life was in the social relationship domain while physical domain was rated the poorest dimension. Optimism and proactive coping along with gender, marital status and type of hospital showed a statistically significant multivariate effect on the four domains of quality of life. Conclusions: Optimism and proactive coping when dealing with work-related stresses have a positive impact on the quality of life of nurses. Relevance to clinical practice: This study highlights the importance of optimism and proactive coping in ensuring high levels of quality of life among nurses. The findings can inform the creation of policies and interventions to ensure the highest level of well-being among nurses, thereby allowing them to better perform their duty of providing quality nursing care.