Sources and perceived levels of stress in Maltese Nursing students

Abstract

The objective of this study is to investigate sources and perceived levels of stress in Maltese nursing students. The main variables researched were: the general stress levels of nursing students, which are the main stressors and coping mechanisms adopted by the students and the awareness of support services available for the students. The study was performed by the distribution of a questionnaire to one hundred and sixteen students, from different courses and year of studies. The general stress level perceived by the students was moderate to high that tended to escalate at the end of a semester. The main stressors originated from academic rather than personal sources. Clinical placements and practical exams elicited high levels of stress. Despite these high levels of stress the youth under study engage in healthy engaged coping mechanisms to manage these stressors. The students' awareness of support services available was minimal. The study attempts to put forward recommendations on how the stress levels can be reduced, thus rendering these students' life less complicated.