Stress is defined as feedback from the body in the face of psychophysiological stress. It can cause major health problems to the individual, directly affecting their quality of life in different ways, for there are some validated tools to detect symptoms and make their diagnosis. Objective: To point out instruments used to diagnose stress and to describe their differences. Methodology: Article conducted through systematic review, including studies that had greater relevance in their information

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... and were related to health, and excluded those who escaped the proposed theme. In all, 32 sources were used, published between 1956 and 2019, thus covering initial stress research and more recent studies. Results: After searching the literature we found 8 validated instruments to diagnose stress, highlighting a translated version of 2017 of Stress Assessment in Nursing Students being the most current. Discussions: Stress is considered a disharmony situation of the organism, with adaptive responses that can be specific to the stressor and highly generalized. The importance of early diagnosis made by psychologists was highlighted, as well as the use of strategies to mitigate the effects of this disease. Conclusion: The means to diagnose stress are diverse, as stressors, so health professionals should be aware of all signs of stress experienced by both nursing students and trained nurses.