Levels and predictors of empathy, self-awareness, and perceived stress among nursing students: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background High levels of empathy and self-awareness and low level of stress among nursing students are the core elements of improving patients’ care and outcomes. The purpose of this study is to assess the levels, relationships, and predictors of empathy, self-awareness, and perceived stress in a sample of undergraduate Jordanian nursing students. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed to collect data from 330 students using a web-based survey. Results The total mean scores of empathy, self-awareness, and perceived stress were 75.75, 40.17, and 55.65, respectively. Students who are studying in public universities, with higher GPA, who have no intention to leave nursing, and who are satisfied with nursing; reported higher level of empathy. Students with lower income level, who have no intention to leave nursing, and who are satisfied with nursing; reported higher level of self-awareness. Female students, those who sleeping 6 h and less, did not get a balanced diet or perform exercise, studying in public universities, lower GPA, have intention to leave nursing, and did not satisfy with nursing; reported higher level of perceived stress. Conclusions Nursing students reported adequate empathy level, low self-awareness level, and moderate perceived stress level. Students who are satisfied and have no intention to leave nursing reported higher level of empathy, self-awareness, and perceived stress. It is necessary to conduct interventional programs that enhance students’ well-being especially empathy and self-awareness, and reduce the level of their stress.

Stress Perceptions, Somatization, and Coping Strategies among Dentistry and Nursing Students: A Comparative Study

“…Dental students in our study particularly emphasized the benefits of improved physical well-being, nutrition, and sleep (15.1%) compared to nursing students (6.50%). So, our findings support previous research indicating that regular physical activity and social support contribute to lower rates of somatic symptoms [27].…”

“…Perceived stress levels were significantly higher than the normative average for pharmacy and dental students and overall higher than nursing students [47]. Similar studies conducted on dental students showed moderate levels [48] and high levels of perceived stress respectively [49,50], while other studies concerned nursing students demonstrated moderate levels of perceived stress [27,51].…”

“…Similarly, another research indicated that self-reflection and emotional self-disclosure contribute significantly to post-traumatic growth in nursing students, reporting on the role of self-awareness in mental health resilience [67]. Furthermore, studies have shown that high levels of empathy, self-awareness, and effective stress management predict reduced perceived stress among nursing students [27] and promote well-being [68]. To prove this, Rasheed et al (2021) [69], developed a measure of selfawareness among nurses, demonstrating its positive impact on stress reduction and mental health.…”

“…From a relevant descriptive cross-sectional study, it was reported that female nursing students who slept six hours or less, did not eat a balanced diet or exercise, attended public universities, had lower grade point averages, intended to leave nursing, and were dissatisfied with the nursing profession reported higher levels of perceived stress. Conversely, nursing students who were satisfied with their field and did not intend to leave it reported lower levels of perceived stress (Hamaideh et al, 2024) [27]. Also, female nursing students exhibited higher anxiety levels due to multiple factors, including lack of competence and having to deliver bad news (Valero-Chillerón et al, 2019) [58].…”

“…Similarly, nursing students are not immune to the somatic effects of stress, with studies highlighting associations between stress and physical health outcomes (Zou et al 2023) [25]. Nursing students also encounter substantial stressors throughout their education, which can lead to somatization of stress and various physical health issues (Hamaideh, 2022,24) [26,27]. Recent studies have shed light on the prevalence and risk factors associated with stress among nursing students, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to support their well-being (Zulu 2021; Mishra, et al 2023; Mumba, et al 2023) [28][29][30].…”