First Year Nursing Students' Coping Strategies in Stressful Clinical Practice Situations

Year 2018, Volume: 4 Issue: 1, 12 - 18, 31.01.2018

İwona Bodys-cupak Anna Majda Justyna Skowron Joanna Zalewska-puchała Aneta Trzcińska

Abstract

Performing the social
service professions, to which a profession of nurse includes, is considered one
of the most stress-inducing jobs. The reason behind this is deep emotional
involvement in contact with patient followed by responsibility for human health
and life. The time dedicated to gaining knowledge and practical skills
constitutes both a potential stress source for the nursing students and
provides them with the opportunity to learn how to cope with it. This study
aims at assessing the level of stress in difficult situations, differentiating
the methods of stress coping and difficult situations for the nursing studies
in the course of practical training. 110 first-year students of intramural
studies at the Nursing Faculty, State Higher Vocational School in Tarnów
(southern Poland) were surveyed using the research tools include the author's
survey questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Inventory to Measure Coping
Strategies with Stress. Differences between variables were verified using the
chi-square (χ2) independence test and Mann - Whitney test. The adopted
significance level was α=0.05. During the first practical training, the nursing
students struggled with multiple difficult situation (and perceived moderate
and high stress and their attempts to cope with stress were diversified.
Increase in stress level was accompanied by higher frequency of stress copying
strategies by avoidance behaviours (χ2=7.59; p=0.02). Students in difficult
situations have more frequently applied coping strategies involving focusing on
the issue of concern rather than emotion-based strategies. One should develop
active methods of coping with stress and difficult situations with the nursing
students, including in particular these manifesting helplessness and avoidance
behaviours. 

Keywords

Stress, Coping, Student, Clinical practice

References

• Bodys-Cupak, I., Majda, A., Skowron, J., Zalewska-Puchała, J. & Trzcińska, A. (2018). First year nursing students' coping strategies in stressful clinical practice situations. Journal of Education in Science, Environment and Health (JESEH), 4(1), 12-18.