Self-perception and value system as possible predictors of stress

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Nursing students face unique stressors during their academic programs.
• Understanding personality, values, and moral judgment is crucial for predicting stress resilience.
• A longitudinal perspective is needed to track changes in these variables over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate personality, value systems, and sociodemographic variables in nursing students.
• To assess the improvement in principle-based moral judgment as a predictor of stress.
• To longitudinally analyze changes in these factors throughout a nursing program.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of Swedish nursing students (1993-1996).
• Principal component factor analysis of 23 variables (sociodemographic, self-image, values, moral judgment).
• Swedish version of the Defining Issues Test and Index P used for moral judgment assessment.

Main Results:

• Factor analysis identified key variables like sociability, trust, achievement, and leadership.
• Significant improvement in principle-based moral judgment (Index P) was observed in Jönköping students.
• Växjö students showed higher Index P scores compared to international averages and other Swedish groups.

Conclusions:

• Self-perception and value systems may predict stress coping.
• Only a minority of students demonstrated enhanced stress coping by the program's end.
• The findings inform pedagogical approaches to ethical professional relationships and stress management.