An exploratory study identifying the programme related stressors amongst qualified nurses completing part-time degree
William Evans1, Gary Brown, Fiona Timmins
1Department of Nursing and Health Care Studies, Solas Building, North Campus, Institute of Technology, Tralee, Co Kerry, Ireland. william.evans@staff.ittralee.ie
Nurse Education Today
|December 19, 2006
Summary
Part-time nursing students face significant academic workload and time management challenges. Younger students experience higher stress levels due to these process stressors, impacting their part-time degree completion.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Higher Education Pedagogy
- Student Well-being
Background:
- Existing literature on undergraduate nursing student stress primarily focuses on daily stressors.
- Part-time nursing degree programs present unique challenges not fully explored in current research.
- Understanding programmatic and age-related stressors is crucial for supporting nursing students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify leading programmatic and age-related stressors for part-time nursing students.
- To investigate the relationship between age and perceived stress in this student cohort.
- To inform educational strategies for course development and student support.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive research design.
- Quantitative data collection using questionnaires.
- Involved 132 students from two institutions in the Republic of Ireland.
Main Results:
- Key stressors included assignment preparation, balancing work/study, and examination demands.
- Younger students reported higher stress related to academic workload and time management (process stressors).
- A negative correlation was observed between age and stress levels associated with process stressors.
Conclusions:
- Programmatic stressors, particularly academic workload and time management, significantly impact part-time nursing students.
- Age is a factor, with younger students experiencing greater stress from these academic demands.
- Educational institutions must consider age-related stressors in curriculum design and student support services for part-time programs.
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