Coping strategies as predictors of coursework stress among university nursing students

Abstract

For nursing students, coping with stress is a dynamic and continuous process. Students are affected by different kinds of stressors such as the pressure to achieve academically. It is important for students to develop coping strategies in order to succeed. The aims of this study are assessing nursing students' perceived level of university coursework stress and their coping strategies, describing the difference between male and female nursing students in that respect, and identifying coping strategies that can predict coursework stress levels. A descriptive, predictive study was conducted utilizing a sample of 96 nursing students. The participants were asked to fill a self-administered questionnaire about coping strategies. The conclusion of this study is that nursing students have moderate stress levels related to their academic coursework. Problem-solving strategies have the highest mean of the eight subscales; however, wishful thinking and tension reduction were the only significant coping mechanisms that worked as predictors of coursework stress.