Stress levels of nursing students: First clinical experience in pediatric units

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Clinical experiences are source of stress for students. In pediatric clinical practice, patients are perceived as more fragile, and therefore students are experiencing more stress. Learning may be inhibited by the stressful clinical experiences. Identifying stressful situations is necessary for the development of strategies to prevent them. For this reason, this study was conducted to determine the stress levels and stressful situations of the students who participated in the clinical practice for the first time in Pediatrics Units. Methodology & Theoretical Orientation: 152 third-year nursing students completed “Turkish version of clinical stress questionnaire” and “students defining characteristics data form” in the decriptive-type study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t test. Findings: The students who gave care to the pediatric patients had the most stress related to "fear of harming the child" and "performing invasive procedure". There was a significant relationship between the stress score of the students and the performing invasive procedure. Performing invasive procedure increased stress level in students. There was a significant relationship between the stress score and asking for support from the instructor. Because of the high level of stress, the students requested support from the instructor. Conclusion & Significance: Practices in pediatric clinics cause stress in nursing students. It is suggested to make the clinical education environment positive by identifying stressful situations.