Initial Clinical Practicum Stress among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study on Coping Styles

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Student Well-being
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Clinical practicum is a critical yet stressful component of nursing education.
• Student stress negatively impacts learning, performance, and overall well-being.
• Effective coping strategies are vital for navigating clinical stressors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between coping styles and stress levels in nursing students during clinical practicum.
• To identify specific stressors associated with different coping styles.
• To inform educational strategies for supporting nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Convenience sample of 184 nursing students.
• Electronic questionnaires assessing clinical practicum stress and coping styles.
• Data analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, and variance analyses.

Main Results:

• The practical education environment and work burden were identified as primary stressors.
• A significant difference in total stress scores was observed between coping style groups (p = 0.020).
• Students employing passive coping strategies reported higher overall stress, particularly related to the education environment and role models.

Conclusions:

• Passive coping styles are associated with increased stress levels in nursing students during clinical practicum.
• Clinical educators and faculty should acknowledge diverse coping mechanisms.
• Tailored teaching methods and support systems are needed to mitigate stress and enhance the clinical learning experience.