Stress among nursing students in Vietnam: Prevalence and associated factors

To describe stress and analyze its associated factors among nursing students.

Stress is a common mental health problem among medical students, especially nursing students. Therefore, understanding stress and its associated factors is necessary to improve stress in students.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 300 nursing students using the stratified sampling method. This study used questionnaires such as demographic form, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21, and the Stressors in Nursing Students scale. The STROBE checklist was used for reporting this study.

Results showed that nearly half of the nursing students were stressed at various levels. Students experienced stress the most due to financial stressors, followed by education, clinical, and confidence stressors. Most of the factors in the four groups-clinical, education, confidence, and finance-increased the risk of stress in nursing students. There was a close relationship between personal problems other than health and the students' risk of stress (p < 0.001).

This study indicated that stress in nursing students was at a high level. Determining the prevalence and associated factors of stress in nursing students will help schools, families, and society take measures to reduce stress among students.

Educational administrators need to develop policies to support nursing students, such as reviewing the academic load of nursing students, improving the design of curricula, and supporting finance for students with difficult situations. Support services should be organized and make it easier for students to access mental health counseling services.