Perceived Stress Level and Its Stressors Among Malaysian Undergraduate Nursing Students During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: As COVID-19 Pandemic hit across the globe, the closure of higher institutions and the shifting to online platform has become the stress factors related to learning activities for the nursing students. Hence, this study was conducted among Malaysian undergraduate nursing students to determine the level of perceived stress and to examine the relationship between the stressors and the perceived stress level. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using convenience sampling conducted among undergraduate nursing students in one public university in Malaysia. The study participants (n=201) had been recruited by distributing an online survey which was consisted of three parts; socio-demographic characteristics, stressor factors, and Perceived Stress Score (PSS-10). Results: Majority of the respondents had moderate stress (n=154, 76.6%) with the total mean PSS-10 was 21.29 (SD=±5.57). Significant differences in PSS-10 score were found in terms of level of study, satisfaction in nursing study, current living location, and negative life events (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results from the study indicated that most of the undergraduate nursing students had moderate stress and it is associated with level of study, satisfaction in nursing study, current living location and the present of negative life events. This finding could inform the nursing lecturers and the Malaysian educational institutions for establishing a mechanism of identification and support system for the nursing students associated with the stressors.