A Study On Stressors And Coping Style Among Nursing Students During Clinical Practice

Objective: The purpose of this study was to know nursing students'major stressors and coping style through the investigation and analysis of the nursing students during clinical practice. We analyzed the difference in stressors and coping style of different nursing students in character, voluntary choice and learning situation, in order to provide a theoretical basis for nursing educator improving teaching methods and doing good clinical teaching.Methods: This research adopted a method of cluster sampling. A questionnaire of 220 nursing students who practiced in three hospitals of Shijiazhuang was made. The questionnaires included demographic questionnaire, nursing students'stressors scale, coping style questionnaire. Collected data was entered into database by Excel. SPSS13.0 software was applied to analyze the difference in different students which adopted descriptive analysis, t-test, chi-squared test.Results:1 232 subjects completed a questionnaire. The response rate was 100%. 220 valid questionnaires were used in final analysis, validity rate was 94.83%.2 Overall, the stress level of nursing students was at the middle level, the score was 1.15±0.45. The top ten stressors included the ability to deal with patient emergencies, contacting with contagious diseases, the level of knowledge of oneself, the gap between clinical requirement and school teaching, the possibility of making errors, the evaluations of patients and their family, the evaluations of clinical teacher, the ability of making use of knowledge, the requirement of manipulative skill, teachers'attitude toward nursing students.3 The analytic result of different groups about stressor and pressure level:①The pressure level of students with introversive personality was higher than that of students with extroversive personality(T=2.73, P<0.05). As to the attitude and evaluation, the requirement of knowledge and skill, patients'status, the students of introversive personality had more pressure than the students of extroversive personality(P<0.05). As to the content and character of nursing, the circumstance and equipment of patients'room, teaching arrangement, there was no significant difference among different groups.②The adjusted students had more pressure than the students who voluntarily choosed nurse (F=3.55, P<0.05). As to the content and character of nursing, the pressure level of adjusted students was higher than that of the students who voluntarily choosed nurse (F=7.40, P<0.05). There was no significant difference among different groups in supervision and evaluation, the requirement of knowledge and skill, patients'status, the circumstance and equipment of patients'room, teaching arrangement.③The students who had bad performance had more pressure than the excellent students(F=5.83, P<0.05). As to the nursing content and character, the circumstance and equipment of patients'room, teaching arrangement, patients'status, the students who performed badly had more pressure than the students who performed excellently(P<0.05). However, as to the requirement of the knowledge and skill, the supervision and evaluation, there was no significant difference in different groups.4 The main coping styles of nursing students were solving problem and asking for help. Then, coping styles were retread factor, fantasy factor, rationalization factor, self-abuse factor. Therefore, most students could adopt positive coping style.5 The analytic result of coping style about different groups:①The students of extroversive personality were easier to adopt solving problem and asking for help than the students of introversive personality(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in other coping styles.②The students who performed excellently and moderately were easier to adopt solving problem and asking for help than the students who performed badly(P<0.05); Though, the students who performed badly were easier to adopt self-abuse than the students who performed excellently and moderately(F=6.90, P<0.05).③The students who voluntarily choosed nurse were easier to adopt solving problem and asking for help than the students who choosed nurse affected by others(P<0.05). Adjusted students had no significant difference from the students who voluntarily choosed nurse and the students who choosed nurse affected by others.Conclusion:Clinical practice was crucial period for nursing students to adapt to clinical circumstance and interpersonal relationship. They required clinical teachers'concern and help. Meanwhile, nursing students faced with many kinds of stressors. Most students could adopt positive coping style. The pressure level was different for different groups of nursing students. They adopted different ways coping with it. Clinical teaching should adopt multiple teaching methods according to every student's character such as consolidating professional thought, stimulating students'interest, supporting them in psychology. It was beneficial for students to relieve their pressure, to encourage them to adopt positive coping styles. Consequently, the students could pass the period of clinical practice successfully and we could improve the quality of nursing education.