Stress and coping strategies in clinical education of nursing students of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences

Since nursing students cannot avoid stressors in clinical setting, supporting and guiding students to reduce stress is a priority for nursing educators. This study aimed to investigate stress and coping strategies in clinical education of nursing students of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences in 2013.

This was an analytical cross-sectional study. Study population was 81nursing students. Data was collected using the questionnaires, including demographic, occupational stress, and coping with stressful situations. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.

Of 81 participants, 30.9% (25 students) were male, and 69.1% (56 students) female. Based on existing domains, 30.9% were grouped in problem- solving, 18.5% in excitement-based, 4.9% in avoidance, 13.6% in distraction, 24.7% in social engagement. The mean of stress level was 2.94±0.35. The greatest sources of stress were biological agents (38.3%) and workload (14.8%). The Pearson correlation test showed a direct relationship between occupational stress and excitement in coping strategies (r=0.244, p=0.028).

Our findings indicated that nursing students experience a moderate level of clinical setting. Problem oriented style was the dominant strategy among nursing students in coping with stress, and avoidance had minimal application. The findings of this study have a considerable impact to determine the needs of students and enhance learning in clinical settings.