Stress among Student Nurses - Research Paper Example

? Stress among nurses Introduction Over the past years, a lot of studies, about levels and sources of stress among nursing students, have been carried out. These studies were mainly carried out to find out the level of stress among the nursing students and the factors that trigger the stress. Stress has been labeled the 20th century disease. It has been viewed as a complex transaction between the environment and the individual involved; nursing students. Stressors are the factors or situations that have the ability to affect the outcome of one’s health. Stress affects different people differently since various people perceive stress differently (Michie, 2003). This paper is objectively meant to discuss stress among student nurses, identifying the causes of these stressors and the effects on individuals and the surrounding. Historical perspective Nursing as a subject has been around for a long time. The only difference is that technology introduced better and more advanced equipments in the study as compared to the previous years. Many studies have been carried out regarding the topic of stress among student nurses, and various results were found. For example, a study was carried out in Mansoura at the faculty of nursing, in Mansura University. The study intended to find out the level of stressors among the student nurses, and to find out the possible factors that cause this. The method used in this study was the use of questionnaires which were self administered. The questions in the questionnaire included a list of possible stressors, physical wellbeing factors, perceived stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms (Michie, 2003). The age bracket of the student nurses that took part in the study was 17-22 years, where 68% of the total population was from the rural area. After the completion of the study, results were compiled. One of the results showed that a majority of these students perceived stress in mild level, while a few of them bout 12.4% perceived stress in high levels. From this result, it was concluded that some of the reasons that lead to stress among nursing students was education policy. In many countries, for example, in Egypt, nursing colleges admit a large number of students. This does not only cause congestion in classes, but also reduces the level of education (Rhead, 2007). The level of education is compromised since the students, and the teachers do not have a one to one discussion where the student can discuss what they find difficult, with the lectures. The ratio of the student to the students does not balance. Traditionally, these colleges handle studies in a passive learning environment. The faculty offers information, and students memorize the information given to them. This education system denies students the opportunity to learn how to synthesize information, to unravel problems (Rhead, 2007). Another factor seen to be a cause of the stress among the nursing students was the level of nursing education. In countries like Egypt, for instance, there are three various types of nurses; college graduate nurses, technical institute graduates and those from nursing school/ diploma nurses (Rhead, 2007). College and technical institute graduate nurses comprise 4% and 2% of the Egyptian nursing staff respectively. Diploma nurses are; thus, the majority, making 94%. This factor affected the nurses who attended college since even, though, they worked so hard and were able to get their degrees, they ended up being assistant practical nurses who take orders from junior doctors and senior diploma nurses, unlike in the past where they had leadership and prestigious positions in the hospital environment (Arm, 2011). This kills their morale and causes stress on the college graduates nursing students. The third cause of stress among student nurses discovered from the study was low income. Nursing is not an easy subject, and it is also tremendously expensive. Many graduates hope to be paid well after studying so hard when they join the job market. However, in the nursing sector, this is one factor that has stressed a lot of student nurses (Arm, 2011). They work so hard only to face financial hardships in their careers. This does not only affect them, but it also reflects on their future social and family life. Many people work hard so that they can give for their families a comfortable life. However, it is stressing when an individual works hard and it does not get any fruits. This is another challenge faced by the student nurses (Arm, 2011). Lack of proper treatment was another challenge pointed out from the study. It is stressful enough that one meets different patients that have difficult attitudes to deal with every day. Moreover, it is even more difficult to have colleagues who do not appreciate or treat one with respect. This stress is common among nursing students. The nurses are often held responsible for any error that occurs in hospitals, and treated as scapegoats by the other medical profession members (Maville, 1997). It is expected that professional treat each other with respect and understanding since they spent a lot of time together during the day, and to understand the stress that each of them face day to day at work. However, the student nurses do not enjoy this treatment of respect and understanding. They are treated as inferiors, and the result is stress. Nursing as a profession, in some countries, for instance, nursing in Egypt has poor a reputation. Nurses have been found to be involved with each other. The male and the female nurses form relationships, despite the policy of professionals not being intimately or romantically involved. Nurses have also been reported to have relationships with their patients. This act is unprofessional; thus, creating bad reputation for nursing. A student nurse may have worked hard and gotten a degree, but due to the unfavorable reputation given to the profession, respect is not easily accorded (Maville, 1997). This is another cause of stress among the nursing students. Everyone deserves and wants to be respected. However, respect is something one earns, and when it lacks, it diminishes ones self esteem and confidence. Classroom pressure causes stress on student nurses. In the world, today, competition is extremely high. A lot of people are going to college and getting degrees. This creates a lot of competitors since the market gets filled with students who have the same level of education. In order for one to compete well in this job market, it is required that one works hard and scores the best scores in the final exam and graduates kith honors (Maville, 1997). This pressure of working hard and competition also cause stress to the nursing students. They have the need to perform well so as to lead a respectable life that it impacts on their heath and their way of leading life. This pressure is another cause of stress (Maville, 1997). From the preview of the previous study and finding out the causes of stress among student nurses, it is obvious that this stress that the students experience has impacts not only on them as individuals, but also on their surrounding. Some of the effect include; poor performance. Everyone needs morale and confidence in themselves and people around them so as to perform their roles properly (Edwards, 2007). However, when a person is stressed, then their performance decreases. The student nurses face all these stressors mentioned above, and this leads to their poor performance. Low quality in performance may also be a result of the poor income they get paid. A person who has worked hard deserves to be rewarded well through generous salary and other benefits. The student, nurses, however, are depolarized by the low wages they receive, and; thus, even when they enter the job market, they have nothing to look forward to, and their performance ends up being of low quality (Edwards, 2007). The stress the student nurses face also the population as a whole. Nurses are important people in the hospital since they take care of patients. However, if they have low morale they end up performing poorly and this affects the people around them, who loose hoe in their services. This also soils the name of the nurses; thus, causing nursing poor reputation (Edwards, 2007). Justification This study is essential since it will help in finding out the factors that have been causing the stress among student nurses, and the effects they may have on individuals and the population as a whole. Through this, solutions for the problem will be sought, which in turn will help in improving the subject. It will also help the nursing student who experience this stress learn how to deal with it in a good manner. Through finding out the causes of this stress, adjustment like better pay will be made and also policies will be revised to help in coming up with better policies in nursing. Conclusion Nursing students face a lot of pressure in their course and when they enter the job market. However, these stresses they face are not new things; they are factors that can be dealt with through making comprehensible adjustments. From the information gotten from the previous study, academic pressures and effect on their social life, and the way to sustain this are the immediate factors that need to be dressed. It is time that people learn the significance of small classes, provision of equipments, better payments, and active method of learning provision in order to help reduce the stress the student nurses are facing. Other ways by which this menace could be dealt with is through the introduction of time management and counseling sessions, stress management training for the nursing students, so as to help in refusing the stress that the nursing students experience. This is not an issue that can be addressed in one day, or on one sitting. However, solving it is the only way through which nursing will get its reputation back, and more importantly, student nurses will be able to go through their courses and careers without the worry of stress. References Amy, H. (2003, June). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from http://journals.lww.com/jonajournal/Abstract/2003/06000/Role_Stress_and_Career_Satisfaction_Among.6.aspx Arm, A. (2011, March 16th). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from http://www.ajol.info/index.php/pamj/article/viewFile/71083/60058 Burnard, P. (2006, November 22nd). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260691706002061 Edwards, D. (2007, June 11th). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from http://www.nurseeducationtoday.com/article/S0260-6917(07)00065-2/abstrac Maville, J. (1997). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9287591 Michie, S. (2003). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1740370/pdf/v060p00003.pdf Naiemeh, S. (2007, June 11th). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6955/6/11 olive, Y. (2002, April). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from http://journals.lww.com/nurseeducatoronline/fulltext/2002/03000/student_nurse_stress_in_the_preceptorship.12.aspx Rhead, M. (2007, November 21st). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2702.1995.tb00038.x/abstract Robotham, D. (2008, April 4th). Retrieved April 4th, 2012, from esources.metapress.com/pdf- preview.axd?code=k286354k25r07784&size=largest Read More