Academic and Clinical Stress Levels and Profession Perceptions of Nursing Senior Students

Abstract

It is important to have a positive opinion and attitude when choosing and adapting to a profession and maintaining a productive working life. Nursing perception of final year students of vocational motivation, confidence, health professionals are important and affect their relationship with patients. The aim of this study is to determine the academic and clinical stress levels of undergraduate nursing students and their perceptions of the nursing profession. Methods: Data has been gathered using 'Information Form', 'Nursing Profession Perception Scale' and 'Nursing Education Stress Scale'. The sample of 183 senior nursing students. Results: Stress scale average score was 67.36+1.48. Students' profession perception scale mean was 88.95+1.32. Stress scale's academic stress subscale score average was 33.78+7.79 whereas the application subscale score average was 33.57+7.83. There is a significant difference between students' choice of the nursing profession and the academic stress scores. Conclusion: Female students chose nursing as a profession at a higher rate than males; more than half of the participants had nursing in their first five choices and are satisfied with that choice also, 80.90% of the participants chose this profession due to job security.

Keywords

• nursing student
• clinical
• stress; academic training; profession perception