Stress In Nursing Students

Stress refers to a dynamic interaction between the individual and the environment. In this interaction, demands, limitations and opportunities related to work may be perceived as threatening to surpass the individual's resources and skills. Stress is any physical or psychological stimulus that disturbs the adaptive state and provoked a coping response The increasing interest in stress research is probably because we live in a world that includes many stressful circumstances and stress has been a global phenomenon. It has become an integral part of life and is said to be the price we all pay for the struggle to stay alive. According to the American Academy of Family physicians, two- thirds of visits to family doctors

The nature of clinical education presents challenges that may cause students to experience stress. Moreover, the practical components of the program which is important in preparing students to develop into professional nurse role by its nature have made the programme even more stressful than other programmes.
The various factors associated with stress among nursing students:
1. Environmental factors: Perceived stress due to change in living environment, inadequate telephone facilities, inadequate provision of safety and security in the world, inadequate facility of canteen/mess, lack of recreational facilities.
2. Intrapersonal factors: Change in eating pattern, engagement/marriage, homesickness in hostel, change in sleeping pattern, new responsibilities of life, personal preoccupations, parents expectations, decline in personal health, death of significant one, financial problems, change in religious

Social support and professional networks: Social support in conjunction with coping strategies and identification of personality styles can lead to effective management of stressors. The provision of academic, social, and behavioral support systems and networks are effective for reducing distress and preventing unhealthy levels of stress. Further, teaching stress identification and stress reduction techniques provides learners with an effective tool for use personally and in the clinical area. Finally, utilization of innovative teaching methodologies and stress reduction interventions in all learning environments can optimize learning while decreasing stress.

9. Empowering students: One strategy that shows promise for reducing the stress for nursing students is mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR). Mindfulness requires the individual to attend to his/her conscious experience with a detached, objective, and open attitude. As a result, the individual gains insight into the nature and frequency of their thoughts and feelings along with the ability to separate the thought from the feeling and/or behavior, and a more balanced emotional state leading to decreased