A Systematic Review on Stress and Coping Strategies of Nursing Students

Salvacion Ban; Devon Chester A Toboso; Joesin Paul F Guerra; Gabat Jake G

Authors

Salvacion Ban Central Philippine Adventist College
Devon Chester A Toboso Central Philippine Adventist College
Joesin Paul F Guerra Central Philippine Adventist College
Gabat Jake G Central Philippine Adventist College

Keywords:

review

Abstract

Stress is a pervasive phenomenon that impacts people’s emotional and professional well-being, as well as their physical and mental health. It affects the retention and patient outcomes of care. It has also severely affected healthcare finances. McCarthy et al. (2018) stated that although stress is an unavoidable aspect of academic life, not all stress is bad. This qualitative study on Systematic Review of Stress and Coping Strategies aims to identify sources and levels of stress experienced by undergraduate nursing students and their employed coping strategies. Review analyses of the 25 relevant studies published between 2016 and 2023 through database selection, securing credible access to academic databases containing medical literature and Francis Online, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and EBSCOhost. Common stressors shifted based on the student year. Three primary stressors were identified: heavy workloads, negative interactions with clinical instructors and healthcare staff, and patient care concerns, including fear of mistakes. Interestingly, fourth-year heaviest workloads; second- and third-year students identified patient care concerns; and most of the studies indicated that participants experience moderate to high levels of stress during initial clinical placements and exposure to the healthcare environment. Participants employed varied coping strategies, such as focused coping, problem-solving strategies, emotion-focused strategies, a combination of problem-focused and emotion-focused strategies, and avoidance coping. This study aims to address students’ sources of stress, enhance workload management and communication skills, and promote healthy coping mechanisms through workshops for participants to not only cope with stress but thrive amidst the different challenges of nursing life.

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