Psycho-social components determining the strategies of coping with stress in undergraduate Polish nursing students

Abstract

Background In order for the nursing students to fully benefit from the clinical experience, it is necessary for them to be able to handle education-related stress. It is important to establish the importance of personal resources and social determinants, that influence coping strategies in stressful situations. Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted among 307 nursing students. The study research tools: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R), Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI – 19), Brief COPE and the original questionnaire were used. Results Active strategies of coping with stress were used significantly more often by the respondents with a greater sense of self-efficacy, a greater sense of life satisfaction and disposable optimism. Avoidance strategies of coping with stress were used significantly more often by the respondents with low self-efficacy, low level of disposable optimism, low sense of life satisfaction, and not a lot of teacher support. The higher was the intensity of stress experienced by students, the more often they coped by avoidance behaviour or showing helplessness. Conclusions All the variables had a significant impact on coping with stress: the level of perceived stress, disposable optimism, sense of self-efficacy, sense of life satisfaction, as well as satisfaction with the stay in a hospital ward, support received from the teacher and the year of the study. The results of the research have allowed the identification of the needs in the field of strengthening the personal resources of nursing students. In the future, they may be useful for the development of educational programs.

Correlation between Positive Orientation and Control of Anger, Anxiety and Depression in Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…A study conducted by Bodys-Cupak et al among Polish nursing students [68] showed a high and average level of optimism in the majority of the study participants. Those with a higher level of dispositional optimism coped with stress and negative emotions significantly more frequently.…”

Health Behaviours and the Sense of Optimism in Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The study conducted by Bodys-Cupak et al showed a high and average level of optimism in a majority of the nursing students participating in the research. Those with a higher level of dispositional optimism coped with stress significantly more often by active coping, positive redefinition, planning, acceptance and seeking emotional and instrumental support [ 54 ]. A study by Joseph et al [ 55 ] showed similar findings.…”

Psychosocial Determinants of Stress Perceived among Polish Nursing Students during Their Education in Clinical Practice

“…The research questionnaires used in the study were: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS10), Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), Self-Esteem Scale (SES), Life Satisfaction Scale (SWLS), Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) and an inventory for the assessment of the clinical learning environment (CLEI-19) and a questionnaire developed by members of the research team, which included, among others, questions about sociodemographic variables. Some of the research tools were described in detail in the article “Psycho-social components determining the strategies of coping with stress in undergraduate Polish nursing students” published in BMC Nursing [ 19 ]. Below is just a general presentation of the research tools used.…”

“…These positive and negative effects of stress are inherently related to personal resources and, therefore, to the ability of students to cope with stress [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 ].…”