Academic Stress and Self Esteem among Nursing Students

Abstract

Background: Nursing is one of the long and quite stressful courses of UG study programme. Stress and self-esteem are common issues that everyone has to cope with at some time in their lives and they could also affect other things going on in a persons’ life. Objectives: The study aims to assess and compare the academic stress and self-esteem among 1st and 2nd year nursing students and associate with selected demographic variables. Methodology: A descriptive cross sectional research design was adopted. A total of 67 nursing students were selected by using non probability purposive sampling technique in a selected nursing college. Through the self-administered method, standardized Academic stress scale and Rosenberg self-esteem scale were used to collect data from the selected samples and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Among the 35 samples of the B.Sc(N) 1st year students 37% had moderate stress, 29% had high stress and 80% had moderate self esteem. Among the 32 samples of B.Sc(N) 2nd year students, 34% of the samples had moderate and high level of stress respectively and 94% had moderate self esteem. There was a significant association between academic stress with selected demographic variables such as age, year of study, birth order, type of family and family support. There was a significant association in the level of self esteem with selected demographic variables such as age, birth order and parental status. Conclusion: Hence, the study findings recommends there need to be a some relaxation programme like yoga, meditation could be suggested regularly for nursing students to overcome their various stresses.