Graduate nursing students and stress

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Psychological Stress
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Graduate nursing students face significant stress.
• Effective stress management programs are crucial for this population.
• Understanding stressors and coping mechanisms is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a stress management program (SMP) for graduate nursing students.
• To identify personal and professional stressors and coping strategies.
• To assess the impact of the SMP on physiological and psychological stress indicators.

Main Methods:

• Randomized controlled trial with 30 female graduate nursing students.
• Eight-week SMP including relaxation response, imagery, and diaphragmatic breathing.
• Data collected via Palmar Sweat Prints, blood pressure, Weekly Self-Report, A-State Anxiety Questionnaire, and Rahe's Recent Life Changes Questionnaire.

Main Results:

• Palmar Sweat Prints showed a significant difference in stress response (p=.05).
• The experimental group reported more coping strategies than the control group.
• Professionally generated stressors were reported more frequently than personal stressors.

Conclusions:

• The stress management program positively influenced stress response and coping strategies.
• Even with inconsistent practice, the SMP's cognitive presence was beneficial.
• Findings have implications for supporting graduate nursing student well-being.