Juggling to find balance: hearing the voices of undergraduate student nurses

Abstract

Background: Accounts of stress are common among students on nursing programmes. Prolonged high levels of stress can contribute to poor learning, the development of detrimental health behaviours, attrition and burnout. Aims: To examine the health and wellbeing implications of undertaking a BSc nursing degree in the UK for first-year students. Methods: Qualitative narrative analysis of 100 written student reflections on the influences on their health and wellbeing was undertaken. Findings: Nursing students must juggle multiple competing demands on their physical capabilities, personal resources, income and time. Students are constantly seeking to achieve balance and personal equilibrium through the use of a variety of coping strategies. Conclusion: This work calls upon the profession, the nursing regulator, nursing programmes within higher education institutions and health Trusts to review the framework and content of undergraduate BSc nurse education. Programme requirements should enhance the health and wellbeing of students while simultaneously delivering education and practice opportunities necessary to meet professional requirements.

Comparing the Mental Health of Healthcare Students: Mental Health Shame and Self-compassion in Counselling, Occupational Therapy, Nursing and Social Work Students

“…Concerning mental health status among nursing students has been reported, relating to depression, anxiety and worries, often associated with their intensive practice experience (Li & Hasson, 2020). A recent study (Mills et al, 2020) further uncovered that nursing students juggle competing demands on their physical capabilities, personal resources, income and time. In their practical training, nursing students often experience difficult situations such as a death of a patient for the first time as a professional caregiver (Terry & Carroll, 2008).…”

Supporting student nurses to develop healthy conversation skills

“…Numerous studies demonstrate the impact of undergraduate nurse education on stress and its subsequent impact on student health behaviours (Moridi et al, 2014;Health Education England, 2019;Mills et al, 2020). The healthy conversation training and its practice provides students with the opportunity to reflect and, in some cases, take control and make changes to their own health behaviours.…”

A qualitative insight into time-poor/grade-hungry health studies students' perceptions of using assessment criteria and feedback in assignment writing

“…Key lessons learned from this study are therefore, as educators, we must continue to explore best approaches at ensuring our students are able to cope with the basic challenges of academic life before a more profound level of pedagogy can perhaps be digested or exploited. In terms of catering for students with multiple competing external commitments (Mills, et al, 2020), future programmes should be designed with flexibility in mind, whereby summative assessment might be project/portfolio-based with minimal mid-term deadlines. Ultimately, if universities across the globe are going to continue to welcome diversity and promote widening participation, then there remains the responsibility to offer a level of support that can meet students at the point in which they arrive at university.…”

“…Considering that health studies students are often faced with an array of competing demands, including shift work in the, challenged, health and social care sector whilst simultaneously caring for families, it is key that the academic skills needs are met for these often over-stretched students (Mills, Ryden and Knight, 2020). Nevertheless, it became evident that widening participation has meant that we should be offering and exploring more practical support opportunities for students generally, to develop their confidence and autonomy through the encouragement of a more hands-on approach to academic skills practice (Norton, Harrington, Elander, Sinfield, Lusher, Reddy, Aiyegbayo, and Pitt, 2005).…”