Nursing Students’ Perceptions of and Experiences with Coping as they face Stress in Clinical Practice: A Descriptive Qualitative Study
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Date
2015
Authors
KAUR, GURPREET
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Abstract
Clinical practice is a major component of nursing education wherein significant learning takes place. It is also a place where nursing students can experience stress which can have a negative impact on their learning. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students’ perceptions of and experiences with their coping efforts as they face stress associated with clinical practice. Lazarus and Folkmans’ theory of stress and coping guided this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 undergraduate nursing students. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Four major themes emerged upon analysis: Learning about self, Social Support, Self-Care, and Clinical Instructors. Nursing students need clinical environments which let them face challenges and meet the responsibilities of nursing practice with support from clinical instructors (Emerson, 2007; Parker & Myrick, 2010). A non-punitive and respectful environment is essential for a student to learn and cope effectively with stressful situations. Clinical instructors play a significant role in the clinical practice of nursing students. Clinical instructors facilitate learning by helping students to overcome situational, knowledge-related or emotional stressors. Negative relationships with them can increase the amount of stress in students in their clinical practice. Whereas positive relationships with the instructors and the staff on the unit increase students’ comfort, decrease stress, and enhance learning. This study yielded qualitative data on nursing students’ views about and experiences with coping with the stress from their clinical practice. This study also provided valuable information regarding the clinical instructor’s role in the coping process. The findings have implications for improving the clinical instructor’s role in enhancing coping among nursing students with the stress that arises from clinical practice.
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Keywords
COPING, STRESS, NURSING STUDENTS, CLINICAL INSTRUCTORS, CLINICAL PRACTICE