IOSR Journal of Nursing and Health Science (IOSR-JNHS) e-ISSN: 2320–1959.p- ISSN: 2320–1940 Volume 3, Issue 3 Ver. II (May-Jun. 2014), PP 34-59 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 34 | Page “A Study to Assess the Effectiveness Of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy on Stress among Staff Nurses Working In Selected Hospitals at Vadodara City” Ms.Palak Patel (Department Of Mental Health Nursing,Sumandeep Nursing College/ Sumandeep Vidyapeeth University , India) Abstract: Stress is a multidimensional phenomenon which is focused on dynamic relationship between the individual and the environment. Studies indicated that medical professionals such as Medical students, Nurses and Nursing students experience many stressor agents. Hospitals are considered as one of the most stressful work environments, because there, it is the matter of humans’ death and life. Nursing profession is generally perceived as a stressful and demanding profession. It is both physically and psychologically challenging. There are various methods recommended to control or reduce the stress. Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy is a systematic therapy for managing stress and achieving a deep state of relaxation. It is an effective and widely used strategy for stress relief. With regular practice it gives a complete relaxation .Pre experimental one group pre - test and post -test research design was adopted to achieve the goal of the study by using instrument i.e demographic data and stress assessment scale among 30 staff nurses. The findings of the study revealed that in pre test most of the nurses 53.3% had moderate stress, 40.0% had mild stress and 6.7% had severe stress. In post test most of the nurses had mild stress 73.3 % and no stress 26.7 % . It is concluded that Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy is effective in reducing the stress level of the staff nurses. Keywords: Hospital, Progressive Muscle Relaxation Therapy, Staff Nurses, Stress. I. Introduction 1.1 Background Of The Study ― An Anxious Mind Can Not Exist In A Relaxed Body‖- Edmud Jacobson, MD Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused as a result of our response to what happens around us. Stress is a multidimensional phenomenon which is focused on dynamic relationship between the individual and the environment. It is also defined as a stressor, individual's response to the stimuli and interaction between the individual and the environment. It should be noted that some degree of stress can be effective on increasing and improving individuals‘ performance. Evidences indicate that most of the human successes are created in stressful conditions; but high rate of stress would followed by numerous consequences, including mental and physical illnesses, sleep disorders, restlessness, irritability, forgetfulness, abnormal fatigue, reduced individual's resistance and recurrent infections, headaches, poor concentration, memory impairment and reduce in problem solving ability. 1 Studies indicated that medical professionals such as medical students, nurses and nursing students experience many stressor agents. 2 Nurses and nursing students are influenced by the various hospital stressor agents in addition to the stress caused by theoretical training environment. Hospitals are considered as one of the most stressful work environments, because there, it is the matter of humans‘ death and life. 3 The stress which is resulted from the environment can affect the way their personality develops and also cause the incidence of many undesirable behaviors in individual. 3 Totally, theses stressor agents can be divided into three categories: category related to education, clinical, and socio individual factors. 4 Various types of stress causes the reduction of individual's resistance through the negative effect which apply on the person's social and individual coping resources and in long-term can have unpleasant effects on individual's physical and mental health. It was indicated that stress can cause mental and physical illnesses, dysfunction and adjustment disorder and ultimately reduction of individuals‘ quality of life. 5 A nurse is exposed to a variety of stress in her day to day life, medium levels of depersonalization to high levels of emotional exhaustion. Stress is observed to be varying with other organizational variables such as structural, procedural and contextual factors. e.g. administrative support of nurses and nursing, Quality of nursing leadership; inter professional conflicts, constantly changing technology, or organizational restructuring.