Table 2.
Level and types of stress perceived by nursing students (n = 332).
| Stress factor/item | Factor ranking | Item ranking | Mean | SD | Median(P25, P75) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall perceived stress | 1.88 | 0.72 | 1.96 (1.41, 2.27) | ||
| I. Stress from taking care of patients | 4 | 1.75 | 0.91 | 1.75 (1.00, 2.37) | |
| Lack of experience and ability in providing nursing care and in making judgments. | 13 | 1.90 | 1.08 | 2.00 (1.00, 3.00) | |
| I do not know how to help patients with physical-psycho-social problems. | 18 | 1.67 | 1.06 | 2.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| Unable to reach one’s expectations. | 21 | 1.57 | 1.25 | 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| Unable to provide appropriate responses to doctors’, teachers’, and patients’ questions. | 19 | 1.61 | 1.07 | 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| Worry about not being trusted or accepted by patients or patients’ families. | 14 | 1.82 | 1.26 | 2.00 (1.00, 3.00) | |
| Unable to provide patients with good nursing care. | 22 | 1.54 | 1.18 | 1.00 (1.00, 3.00) | |
| I do not know how to communicate with patients. | 23 | 1.54 | 1.29 | 2.00 (0.00, 2.00) | |
| Experience difficulties in changing from the role of a student to that of a nurse. | 5 | 2.37 | 1.28 | 2.00 (2.00, 3.00) | |
| II. Stress from assignments and workload | 1 | 2.61 | 0.94 | 2.40 (2.00, 3.40) | |
| Worry about bad grades. | 1 | 3.24 | 1.06 | 4.00 (3.00, 4.00) | |
| Experience pressure from the nature and quality of clinical practice. | 2 | 2.64 | 1.09 | 2.00 (2.00, 4.00) | |
| Feel that one’s performance does not meet teachers’ expectations. | 7 | 2.16 | 1.36 | 2.00 (1.00, 4.00) | |
| Feel that the requirements of clinical practice exceed one’s physical and emotional endurance. | 4 | 2.39 | 1.31 | 2.00 (1.00, 4.00) | |
| Feel that dull and inflexible clinical practice affects one’s family and social life. | 3 | 2.61 | 1.24 | 3.00 (2.00, 4.00) | |
| III. Stress from lack of professional knowledge and skills. | 6 | 1.49 | 0.94 | 1.33 (0.66, 2.00) | |
| Unfamiliar with medical history and terms. | 29 | 1.29 | 0.99 | 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| Unfamiliar with professional nursing skills. | 24 | 1.49 | 1.04 | 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| Unfamiliar with patients’ diagnoses and treatments. | 17 | 1.68 | 1.14 | 2.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| IV. Stress from the environment. | 2 | 1.18 | 0.47 | 1.2 (0.80, 1.40) | |
| Feel stressed in the hospital environment where clinical practice takes place. | 16 | 1.71 | 1.14 | 2.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| Unfamiliar with the ward facilities. | 6 | 2.17 | 1.15 | 2.00 (1.00, 3.00) | |
| Feel stressed from the rapid change in the patient’s condition. | 9 | 2.04 | 1.14 | 2.00 (1.00, 3.00) | |
| V. Stress from peers and daily life | 3 | 1.80 | 0.89 | 1.75 (1.25, 2.50) | |
| Experience competition from peers in school and clinical practice. | 26 | 1.45 | 1.00 | 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| Feel pressure from teachers who evaluate students’ performance by comparison. | 10 | 2.02 | 1.43 | 2.00 (1.00, 3.00) | |
| I feel that clinical practice affects one’s involvement in extracurricular activities. | 8 | 2.16 | 1.28 | 2.00 (2.00, 3.00) | |
| Cannot get along with other peers in the group. | 20 | 1.58 | 1.20 | 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| VI. Stress from teachers and nursing staff. | 5 | 1.69 | 0.87 | 1.67 (1.00, 2.16) | |
| Experience discrepancy between theory and practice. | 11 | 2.00 | 1.20 | 2.00 (1.00, 3.00) | |
| Do not know how to discuss patients’ illness with teachers or medical and nursing personnel. | 27 | 1.43 | 1.33 | 1.00 (0.00, 2.00) | |
| Feel stressed that the teacher’s instruction is different from one’s expectations. | 12 | 1.98 | 1.23 | 2.00 (1.00, 3.00) | |
| Medical personnel lack empathy and are not willing to help. | 25 | 1.48 | 1.14 | 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) | |
| Feel that teachers do not give a fair evaluation of students. | 15 | 1.80 | 1.33 | 2.00 (1.00, 3.00) | |
| Lack of care and guidance from the teacher. | 28 | 1.43 | 1.07 | 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) |