Stress, coping and burn-out in nursing students
1School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queen's University Belfast, 8 Malone Road, Belfast BT9 5BN, UK. c.gibbons@qub.ac.uk
International Journal of Nursing Studies
|April 3, 2010
Summary
Sources of stress can predict nursing student well-being, with avoidance coping strongly linked to burnout. Promoting support and self-efficacy are key to enhancing student well-being and learning.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Psychology
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Traditional research views nursing student stress solely as psychological distress.
- Limited research explores stressors that enhance well-being and learning in nursing students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between stress sources and psychological burnout in nursing students.
- To investigate the moderating and mediating roles of coping resources on burnout.
Main Methods:
- A questionnaire assessed stress (hassles and uplifts), coping resources (support, control, self-efficacy, coping style), and burnout in 171 final-year nursing students.
- Statistical analyses explored the predictive relationships between these variables.
Main Results:
- Stressors leading to distress were stronger predictors of well-being than those leading to eustress, except for placement experience.
- Self-efficacy, dispositional control, and support were significant predictors of well-being.
- Avoidance coping was the most potent predictor of burnout, with even occasional use having adverse effects.
Conclusions:
- Nurse educators should recognize how course experiences influence both distress and eustress.
- Interactions and feedback from educators can foster self-efficacy and provide crucial support.
- Peer support is vital and can be enhanced through structured initiatives.
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