Introduction. Medical procedures aside, nursing work is characterized by intensive contacts with other people. Being with dying patients is one of the most difficult tasks, and the one which puts nurses at a high risk of experiencing the destructive effects of negative emotions. Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of nursing staff' personality traits and mental health on their stress-coping strategies in contacts with dying people. Material and methods. The study involved 836 male and female nurses from Poland at the average age of 40 years (SD = 9.7), most of whom (82%) were employed in a hospital. This survey-based study was performed using the GHQ-30 (self-reported health assessment), the CISS (stress-coping styles), and the NEO-FFI (personality traits). Results. The study demonstrated that 85% of those surveyed remembered their first experience with patient's death, and 54% of the respondents did not have mental health problems. Stress-coping styles adopted by nurses with mental health problems were mainly those based on emotion-oriented coping (29.5%), avoidance-oriented coping (18.28%), and engaging in alternative activities (distraction) (32.11%) [p = 0.000]. Conclusions. Male and female nurses with psychological functioning problems were more likely to choose non-constructive stress-coping strategies. Stress-coping styles adopted by nurses are associated with their personality traits.

Key words: death, nurses, personality, stress, health.