A Comparative Study of Stressors in Medical and Nursing Students of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences and how they Correlate with Their Academic Progress: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Education at the university level is obviously stressful. The general aim of this paper is to study the correlation between stressful areas and students' academic progression at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. This is a cross-sectional research study. Three hundred and fifteen nursing and medical students were chosen by stratified random sampling. This data was collected via a questionnaire, which included demographics, stressors at educational, clinical and personal areas and supportive sources while the subjects cope with stress. To determine validity of the questionnaire, content and constructive validity were used. The reliability of the questionnaire was estimated by using Cranach's in educational (93%), clinical (85%) and personal (90%) areas. The statistical method which was applied in this study included inferential and descriptive analysis. Results included that most students presented mild stress in educational, clinical and personal areas, although it was more noticeable in clinical area. The level of stress decreased in educational and clinical areas with increasing age and it reached the height in these areas in the subjects under the age of 20 (P= 0.003). There was more stress in females than males in educational and clinical areas (P= 0.003). There was more stress in the students of nursing than students of medicine in clinical area (P= 0.04). The level of stress in the subjects who were satisfied with their academic course was lower than subjects who were dissatisfied in clinical area. (p=0.004). There was no significant correlation between academic progression and level of stress at educational, personal and clinical areas. Supportive source were mostly parents, the performance of religious duties and the means to find peace, friends and classmates, brothers and sisters, counsellors, and relatives. The results also indicated that some of the students did not seek help during stress and remained speechless. Considering the fact that most of the subjects presented stress in clinical area, the sources of stress in students, particularly stress caused by educational and clinical areas, must be evaluated carefully. On the other hand, it is necessary to teach students how to reduce and cope with stress. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n6s6p388