Evaluation of Factors Related to Stress Among Nursing Students

Year 2023, , 263 - 274, 01.08.2023

Tuğba Yardımcı Gürel

https://doi.org/10.25279/sak.1100805

Abstract

Introduction: It is commonly accepted that educational stress affects students' academic achievement, self-esteem, and coping efficacy, which can lead to changes in physiological and psychological health. Nursing students experience greater stress related to the intensity and complexity of nursing programs, including academic, clinical, and personal stressors than students in other health-related fields. Aim: To investigate undergraduate nursing students’ stress levels and factors affecting these during their education. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study involving 319 students. A Sociodemographic Characteristics Form and the Student Nurse Stress Index (SNSI) were used for data collection. The Cronbach alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.86. Results: Of the participants, 26.6% were in the third year of study, 67.4% were female and 55.5% of the students thought of themselves as moderately successful academically. The overall SNSI mean score was 43.85±10.58 (min=15, max=75). According to the analysis, there was a statistically significant difference between some of the students’ sociodemographic features and the Student Nurse Stress Index mean scores. The students' academic year was directly associated with stress levels (p < 0.05). The academic load was the most common source of stress reported by students. Conclusion and suggestions: It was found that the stress levels of the senior students were higher than those of other students. Nursing students' mental health must be protected to continue to provide adequate care and treatment to patients. Stress management interventions should be provided, especially in the final year of study, when the students experience the most intense stress.

Keywords

Stress, Nursing Students, Nursing Education, Stressors

Hemşirelik Öğrencilerinde Stresle İlgili Faktörlerin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Giriş: Eğitim ile ilişkili stresin öğrencilerin akademik başarısını, benlik saygısını ve baş etme yeterliliğini etkilediği, bunun da fizyolojik ve psikolojik sağlıkta değişikliklere yol açabileceği yaygın olarak kabul edilmektedir. Hemşirelik öğrencileri; akademik, klinik ve kişisel stres faktörleri dahil olmak üzere hemşirelik programlarının yoğunluğu ve karmaşıklığı ile ilgili diğer sağlıkla ilgili alanlardaki öğrencilere göre daha fazla stres yaşamaktadırlar. Amaç: Lisans hemşirelik öğrencilerinin stres düzeylerini ve bunları etkileyen faktörleri araştırmaktır. Gereç ve yöntem: Bu araştırma 319 öğrenciyi kapsayan tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel bir çalışmadır. Verilerin toplanmasında Sosyodemografik Özellikler Formu ve Öğrenci Hemşire Stres İndeksi (SNSI) kullanılmıştır. Ölçeğin Cronbach alfa katsayısı 0.86’dır. Bulgular: Katılımcıların %26,6'sı üçüncü sınıf, %67.4'ü kadın ve %55.5'i akademik olarak orta düzeyde başarılı olduğunu düşünmektedir. Genel SNSI ortalama puanı 43.85±10.58’dir. Yapılan analizlerde öğrencilerin bazı sosyodemografik özellikleri ile Öğrenci Hemşire Stres İndeksi puan ortalamaları arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark bulunmuştur. Öğrencilerin bulundukları sınıfın stres düzeyleri ile doğrudan ilişkili olduğu saptanmıştır (p < 0.05). Öğrenciler tarafından bildirilen en yaygın stres kaynağının akademik yük olduğu bulunmuştur. Sonuç ve öneriler: Araştırma sonucunda son sınıf öğrencilerinin stres düzeylerinin diğer öğrencilere göre daha yüksek olduğu saptanmıştır. Hastalara yeterli bakım ve tedavinin sağlanması açısından hemşirelik öğrencilerinin ruh sağlığının korunması önemlidir. Özellikle öğrencilerin yoğun stres yaşadığı son sınıfta stres yönetimi ile ilgili girişimlerin planlanması önerilmektedir.

Keywords

Stres, Hemşirelik Öğrencileri, Hemşirelik Eğitimi, Stresörler

References

• Admi, H., Moshe-Eilon, Y., Sharon, D. & Mann, M. (2018). Nursing students' stress and satisfaction in clinical practice along different stages: A cross-sectional study. Nurse Education Today, 68:86–92.
• Ahmed, W. A. & Mohammed, B. M. (2019). Nursing students’ stress and coping strategies during clinical training in KSA. Journal of Taibah University for Science, 14(2):116–122.
• Alatawi, A. O., Morsy, N. M. & Sharif, L. S. (2022). Relation between resilience and stress as perceived by nursing students: A Scoping Review. Evidence-Based Nursing Research, 4(1): 42-60.
• Al-Gamal, E., Alhosain, A. & Alsunaye K. (2017). Stress and coping strategies among Saudi nursing students during clinical education. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 54:198-205.
• Alghamdi, S., Aljabri, S., Jafar, G., Alzebali, R., Alkunaidiri, N. & Kalantan, N. (2019). Sources of stress among undergraduate nursing students. Global Journal of Health Science, 11(9):116-122.
• Aljohani,W. Banakhar, M., Sharif, L., Alsaggaf, F., Felemban, O. & Wright, R. (2021). Sources of stress among saudi arabian nursing students: A Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18: 11958.
• 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, 4(1):12-18.
• Baluwa, M.A., Lazaro, M., Mhango, L. & Msiska, G. (2021). Stress and coping strategies among Malawian undergraduate nursing students. Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 12:547–556.
• Chaabane, S., Chaabna, K., Bhagat, S., Abraham, A., Doraiswamy, S., Mamtani R., & Cheema S. (2021). Perceived stress, stressors, and coping strategies among nursing students in the Middle East and North Africa: an overview of systematic reviews. Systematic Reviews, 10(1):136-153.
• Gibbons, C. (2010). Stress, coping and burn-out in nursing students. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 47, 1299–309.
• Gomathi, S., Jasmindebora, S. & Baba, V. (2017). Impact of stress on nursing students. International Journal of Innovative Research and Advanced Studies, 4(4):107–110.
• Jones, M.C. & Johnston, D.W. (1999). The derivation of a brief student nurse stress index. Work Stress, 13(2):162e81.
• Kasthuri, S. (2017). Stress management techniques: its impact on perception of stressors among nursing students. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Education, 6;11(2):27-42.
• Kumar, R. (2018). Personality traits, academic stress and adjustment styles among nursing students. The Nursing Journal of India, 109:184–188.
• Kupcewicz, E., Grochans, E., Kadučáková, H., Mikla, M., & Jóźwik, M. (2020). Analysis of the relationship between stress intensity and coping strategy and the quality of life of nursing students in Poland, Spain, and Slovakia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12): 4536.
• Labrague, L., McEnroe-Petitte, D., Gloe, D., Thomas, L., Papathanasiou, I. & Tsaras, K. (2017). A literature review on stress and coping strategies in nursing students. Journal of Mental Health, 26(5):471–480.
• Labrague, L. J., McEnroe-Petitte, D. M., Papathanasiou, I.V., Edet, O. B., Tsaras, K., Leocadio, M. C. …Velacaria, P. I. T. (2018). Stress and coping strategies among nursing students: an international study. Journal of Mental Health, 27(5): 402-408.
• Madian, A. A. E. M., Abdelaziz, M. M. & Ahmed, H. A. E. (2019). Level of stress and coping strategies among nursing students at Damanhour University, Egypt. American Journal of Nursing Research, 7(5): 684-696.
• McCarthy B, Trace A, O’Donovan M, Brady-Nevina, C., Murphyd, M., O'Sheae, M. & O'Reganaet, P. (2018). Nursing and midwifery students’ stress and coping during their undergraduate education programmes: an integrative review. Nurse Education Today, 1(61):197–209.
• Msiska, G., Kamanga, M., Chilemba, E., Msosa, A. & Munkhondya, T.E. (2019). Sources of stress among undergraduate nursing students during clinical practice: A Malawian perspective. Open Journal of Nursing, 9(1):1-13.
• Nebhinani, M., Kumar, A., Parihar, A. & Rani, R. (2020). Stress and coping strategies among undergraduate nursing students: a descriptive assessment from Western Rajasthan. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 45(2):172-175.
• Onieva-Zafra, M. D., Fernández-Muñoz, J. J., Fernández-Martínez, E., García-Sánchez, .FJ., Abreu-Sánchez, A. & Parra-Fernández, M. L. (2020). Anxiety, perceived stress and coping strategies in nursing students: a cross-sectional, correlational, descriptive study. BMC Medical Education, 20(1):1–9.
• Parveen, A. & Inayat, S. (2017). Evaluation of factors of stress among nursing students. Journal of Advanced Practices in Nursing, 2(2):136-140.
• Sarıkoç, G., Bayram, D. M., Öksüz, E. & Pazar, B. (2017). Turkish version of the Student Nurse Stress Index: Validity and reliability. Asian Nursing Research, 11:128-133.
• Smith, G.D. & Yang, F. (2017). Stress, resilience and psychological well-being in Chinese undergraduate nursing students. Nurse Education Today, 49:90-95.
• Turner, K. & McCarthy, V.L. (2017). Stress and anxiety among nursing students: A review of intervention strategies in literature between 2009 and 2015. Nurse Education in Practice, 22:21–29.