Збірник тез XVI Міжнародно медичного конгресу студентів та ...

Onyekachi Ogbonna
ACADEMIC STRESS COPING STRATEGIES FOR NURSING STUDENTS
Institute of nursing, international nursing school, bachelourate nursing program
Supervisor: dr. N. Haliyash, md, bsn
Ternopil state medical university by i. Horbachevsky. Ukraine
Stress - a condition of physical or mental strain caused by inability to adjust to factors in the environment
thus resulting in physiological tension or pressure.
The incidence of stress among nursing students is quite alarming and the leading cause being academic pressure/
workload according to a research done to determine the sources of stress and coping strategies in 366 nursing
students, of Iran Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, using a cross-sectional design, observed that ‗trying to improve
themselves‘ the self-reliance strategy, trying to make their own decision‖, the social support strategies, ―praying‖,
seeking diversion strategy, listening to music‘, the relaxing strategy ‗were the main coping strategies employed by
the students .
Nursing students are prone to stress due to transitional nature of nursing education. University education
for nurses is an intensive program that requires the students to acquire very broad knowledge and skills that will
enable them function effectively in carrying out the various nursing roles required of them after graduation. The
students are exposed to a lot of theoretical as well as practical experiences since nursing deals with human
response to disease process.
Academic stress is inevitable in any academic institution or environment making it the leading cause of
stress amongst students. Financial problems, amongst many others; is also one of the reasons for stress in students
too. Dealing with these kinds of stress and adopting good coping strategies is a major cause of concern and
remains the available option. Coping is a constant ongoing process, which requires a change in structure, function
or behavior so that the person is better suited to the environment. It should be noted that academic stress just like
any other cause of stress if not properly managed could result to psychological stress.
The objectives of the study were to find out how undergraduate nurses cope with academic stress,
determine the factors that enhance coping as well as the factors that hinder coping to academic stress in the
students.
A descriptive study was used and questionnaires were distributed amongst 35 international students. A
questionnaire was used for collection of data which was analyzed using frequency tables and percentages.
According to my findings, greater percentage of students employed these coping strategies, adopting good study
habit, re-evaluation of stressful situation, seeking support of friends were the main coping strategies adopted.
Joining discussion group, starting early to read to avoid overworking and resorting to prayer/meditation were major
factors that enhanced coping. Leaving reading till last minutes to examinations is one of the key factors that
hindered coping amongst others.
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