• Li Li, Hua Ai, Lei Gao, Hao Zhou, Xinyan Liu, Zhong Zhang, Tao Sun, and Lihua Fan.
• Department of Health Management, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Baojian Road 157, Harbin, China. healthlaw@126.com.
• Bmc Health Serv Res. 2017 Jun 12; 17 (1): 401.

BackgroundWork stress is a major problem for nurses and it can negatively influence job performance. Therefore, it is critical to explore variables that can reduce or buffer the negative effects of work stress. This study explores the moderating effects of coping strategies on the relationship between work stress and job performance for nurses in China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 852 nurses from four tertiary hospitals in Heilongjiang Province, China, was conducted in 2013. Descriptive statistics were reported for socioeconomic status and demographic characteristics, level of work stress, coping strategies, and job performance. Regression analysis was conducted to test the interaction between work stress and coping strategies on job performance.ResultsThree subscales of work stress were negatively related to job performance. Positive coping strategies moderated Patient Care and job performance while negative coping strategies moderated Workload and Time and performance, and between Working Environment and Resources and performance.ConclusionsPositive coping strategies reduce or buffer the negative effects of work stress on job performance and negative coping strategies increased the negative effects.

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