Perceived stress and social support in undergraduate nursing students' educational experiences

Summary

Background

Nursing students experience high levels of stress. Coping mechanisms such as utilization of social support are effective in managing the effects of stress and promoting individual well-being. The use of social support from faculty members and peers in nursing programs has not been studied sufficiently. Faculty members who can perceive and understand student emotions add to the students' positive perception of the educational environment, making it more conducive to learning.

Objectives

To identify the stress experience and use of social support as a coping mechanism in traditional and second degree nursing students' educational experiences.

Design

A mixed method study was conducted.

Setting

Undergraduate nursing students at a private university.

Participants

107 baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in either a traditional (n = 49) or second degree (n = 58) program during the Fall 2011 semester.

Method

Five instruments were combined to develop the quantitative and qualitative questions for an online survey.

Results

Traditional and second degree nursing students report high levels of anxiety, worry and depression in response to stress, resulting in feelings of rejection and inadequacy. Respondents used faculty members for support less frequently than they used their peers, spouse/significant other or parents. Second degree students and traditional students differ in their level of alcohol consumption with traditional students more likely to drink heavily than second degree students. In addition, traditional students are more likely to use fellow nursing students and other friends as social support, whereas second degree students rely more on their spouse/significant other.

Conclusion

Students' high levels of maladaptive reactions to stress should encourage educators to help students develop positive coping strategies. Educators have the potential to impact the development of their students as they transition into nurses capable of handling the rigors of the profession.

Introduction

Nursing students experience high levels of stress (Gibbons, 2010, Goff, 2011, Moscaritolo, 2009). As senior level traditional nursing students and their faculty, we are aware of the extremely high level of stress students experience and the diversity of responses used to cope with stress. We are concerned about how the stress experience of undergraduates will impact their future careers as nurses. It is imperative that faculty support nursing students to help them develop adaptive coping mechanisms that they can employ in stressful situations. Development of adaptive coping mechanisms by nursing students will result in students who are less likely to use maladaptive strategies such as drinking, separating self from others, ignoring stress, anxiety and depression. Faculty members must be willing to assist future generations of nurses survive the rigors of nursing school and thrive in the face of challenges presented in the nursing profession. This study aimed to identify the stress experience of undergraduate nursing students, the coping mechanisms utilized by these students, and their reliance on various social support systems.