Stress and coping strategies among Saudi nursing students during clinical education.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the stress level and coping strategies among undergraduate Saudi female nursing students during their clinical education. In this study, a descriptive correlational cross-sectional design was used. The Demographic Information Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, and Coping Behavior Inventory were completed by 121 female Saudi undergraduate nursing students. The findings showed that stress from taking care of the patient subscale (M = 12.0, SD = 5.0) was ranked the highest mean among all perceived stress subscale scores. The most commonly used coping strategies among nursing students in clinical practice was a problem-solving strategy (M = 15.8, SD = 4.3). Facilitating the use of effective coping strategies in nursing students will promote quality of care for their patients.