A STUDY ON STRESS EXPERIENCED BY NURSING STUDENTS DURING TRAINING AT JINNAH COLLEGE OF NURSING

Abstract

Nursing is both an art and a science — a profession that demands emotional resilience, discipline, and dedication. It is a challenging and emotionally taxing career that requires students to balance the rigorous demands of academic learning with the practical pressures of clinical training. During their training period, nursing students often face significant stressors stemming from both academic and clinical environments. Academic stress arises from heavy coursework and examinations, while clinical stress may result from experiences such as receiving negative feedback from instructors.

This study aimed to assess the levels of stress and coping strategies among nursing students at Jinnah College of Nursing. An observational, cross-sectional design was employed, involving 105 randomly selected participants — 36.2% male and 63.8% female — with a mean age of 22 years. The majority of participants were single (92; 87.6%).

Findings revealed that 50% of nursing students experienced stress related to clinical practice and academic performance, 34% reported no stress, and 16% remained neutral. The most common stressors identified were insufficient vacations or breaks (56; 53.3%) and lack of guidance from teachers (19; 18.1%). Additionally, 73.3% of students reported using various coping strategies to manage stress.

The study concludes that the majority of nursing students experience significant academic and clinical stress. It is recommended that stress management seminars be conducted at the beginning of each semester to help students develop effective coping mechanisms and improve both academic and clinical performance.