Stress during nursing education is common and existing evidence shows that repeated exposure to high levels of stress has
adverse effects on the physiological and psychological well-being of the nursing students. However, no studies have been
located examining the impact of stress on nursing students’ social and functional well-being.
Aim
The aims of this study were to answer the following research questions: (1) what is the level of stress and types of stressors
perceived by Greek and Filipino nursing students? (2) what is the quality of life of the nursing students?, and (3) does
perceived stress affect the quality of life of nursing students?
Methods
This was a cross – sectional study utilizing convenience samples of 315 nursing students from two countries (Greece and the
Philippines) during the months of October 2015 to June 2016. Two standardized instruments were used to collect data: the
Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Quality of Life Evaluation Skill (QOLES).
Results
Nursing students experienced moderate levels of stress (m = 2.03, SD = 0.63) mainly from “stress from assignment and
workload” (m = 2.38, SD = 0.801) and “stress from clinical environment” (m = 2.05, SD = 0.72). The “social” (3.22±0.87) and
the “psychological” dimensions (3.14±0.59) in the QoL were rated high by the students. Furthermore, stress experiences in
nursing students had no influence in their quality of life (p=0.392).
Conclusion
This study showed that nursing students are consistently exposed to high levels of stress mainly from assignments, heavy
workloads, and the clinical environment. However, this stress experience in nursing students had no influence on their quality
of life. Although, it has no impact on their QoL, stressful experiences during nursing education may still have adverse effects
on the workforce as this may eventually prevent prospective nurses from joining into the nursing profession. Thus, nurse
academicians should identify and support nursing students’ needs and should formulate effective interventions to effectively
reduce stress in clinical education and further enhance their quality of life thus maximizing their clinical experience.