Stress level among undergraduate nursing students related to the training phase and sociodemographic factors

Abstract

Objective: identify the stress level among nursing undergraduates and the associated sociodemographic and academic factors; to compare stress level among college students according to the training phase in the course. Method: cross-sectional study with 286 university students. The instrument of sociodemographic and academic characterization and the stress scale were applied. The overall stress level was assessed by standardized score. In the bivariate analysis, Pearson’s chi-square or Fisher’s exact test was used, and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed using the Poisson model. Statistical significance of 5% was adopted. Results: higher proportion of college students presented medium/high level of global stress. Students from 6th to 10th semesters presented higher levels of stress compared to those from 1st to 5th, in the Realization of practical activities, Professional Communication (p = 0.014), Environment (p = 0.053) and Vocational Training (p = 0.000) domains). In the multivariate analysis, they contributed to the highest level of stress the variables attending the 6th to 10th semesters, female gender, monthly income ≤ one minimum wage and income considered insufficient. Conclusion: women in a more advanced stage of education and with low economic condition present a higher level of stress in their academic education.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Arabic Version of the Higher Education Inventory Scale for nursing students

“…Nursing education-related stress levels range from medium to high [4,5,6,7]. While some stressors are considered motivational and may encourage achievement [8], experiencing prolonged stress threatens the physical, mental, and psychological health of students [9].…”

“…Previous studies have indicated a link between certain sociodemographic characteristics and increased stress levels among nursing students. For example, students from low-income families have been found to experience higher levels of stress in comparison to other students, as they may worry about not being able to meet their scholastic requirements, tuition fees, basic needs (food, accommodation, and transportation), or personal needs [7,14,16]. Further, with many universities now using blended learning and/or e-learning, students from low-income families may worry about the costs of purchasing appropriate electronic devices, good internet services, and information applications [17].…”

“…Further, with many universities now using blended learning and/or e-learning, students from low-income families may worry about the costs of purchasing appropriate electronic devices, good internet services, and information applications [17]. Gender has also been found to impact students' stress levels, with female nursing students frequently reporting higher levels of stress compared to males [7,11,16,18]. Previous studies have attributed this to the hormonal disturbances generally experienced by females and the fact that females are more prone than males to psychological disorders [11].…”

“…As for the impact of academic year on students' stress levels, studies in the literature have reported con icting ndings. For example, Aslan and Akturk [18] and Ribeiro et al [7] found stress levels to be higher among senior students than students in other years, mainly due to the nature of the advanced theoretical and clinical courses that senior students must take. Meanwhile, Admi and colleagues [10] found that junior nursing students experience the highest levels of stress, attributing this to their lack of knowledge and training experience required for future courses.…”

Psychometric Evaluation of the Arabic Version of the Higher Education Inventory Scale for Nursing Students

“…Previous studies have indicated that nursing students have higher stress levels compared to students of other healthcare-related elds [7,8]. Education-related stress levels among nursing students range from medium to high [9,10,11,12]. While some stressors are considered motivational and may encourage achievement [13], experiencing prolonged stress threatens the physical, mental, and psychological health of students [6].…”