Hans Selye said, “It's not stress that kills us, it's our reaction to it.” Stress can cause its victims to suffer emotional and physical distress. If stress occurs for prolonged periods of time with little or no respite it can cause serious and sometimes fatal health problems. It's ironic that stress can lead to serious health problems, yet some of the most stressed people are those who work in the healthcare industry. According to an article in the Nursing Standard, stress is a leading cause of illness and depression among nurses (Jones-Berry, 2013). Several studies have shown that there is a direct link between stress, depression and illness and nurses are often victims of this due to inadequate work environments and the lack of adequate sick leave to meet their needs. Research has shown that stress among nurses is directly related to depression and illness; therefore, hospitals must take the necessary actions to reduce stress and promote the well-being of nursing staff. Work or work-related stress is defined as “the adverse reaction that people have to excessive pressure or other types of demands imposed on the job,” (Burke, 2013). Nurses are exposed to high levels of occupational stress due of heavy workloads, long working hours, and high levels of time pressure (Tsai & Liu, 2012). Challenging work environments place great pressure on nurses to perform their tasks without allowing them sufficient supervision and support to perform. managing such demands. According to one study, the lack of decision-making authority and a deficit of social support from supervisors are directly associated with the development of stress-related symptoms (Tsai & Liu, 2012). ......middle of paper......ones-Berry, S. (2013). Too much pressure: NHS employers need to invest in nurses' wellbeingNursing Standard, 28(2), 12. -13.Nadeem, B. (2013). An RCN survey finds half of nurses are unwell due to work pressures. NursingManagement-UK, 20(7), 10.National Institute for Health Care Excellence. (2009). Promoting mental well-being through productive and healthy working conditions: guidance for employers. Retrieved from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence website: http://tinyurl.com/papowocSprinks, J. (2013). Work-life imbalance and pressures that make nurses ill. NursingStandard, 28(6), 14-15.Tsai, Y., & Liu, C. (2012). Factors and symptoms associated with work stress and health-promoting lifestyles among hospital staff: a pilot study in Taiwan. Central Health Services Research BioMed, 12(199), 1-8. doi: 10.116/1472-6963-12-199