Factors related to stress among nursing students before maternal, infant and midwifery nursing practice at a higher education institution

Abstract

This correlation study examined factors related to stress among nursing students before maternal, child, and midwifery practicum at a higher education institution. The sample consisted of 153 third and fourth-year nursing students in the first semester of the 2025 academic year. The instruments used included a demographic questionnaire, a stress assessment scale, an anxiety assessment scale, a self-esteem assessment scale, and a self-efficacy assessment scale. The cronbach's alpha coefficients of the four latter scales were 0.93, 0.99, 0.82, and 0.96, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rank correlation.

The study results found that factors significantly positively related to stress among nursing students before maternity, child, and midwifery practicum were anxiety level and year of study, with strong (r=0.642, p<0.001) and weak (r=0.299, p<0.001) correlations, respectively. Conversely, factors significantly negatively correlated with stress included perceived self - efficacy and self-esteem, with strong (r=-0.561, p<0.001) and weak (r=-0.280, p<0.001) correlations, respectively.

Conclusion students with high anxiety levels and those in higher academic years tend to experience higher stress levels, while students with high self-efficacy and high self-esteem tend to experience lower stress levels. Teaching management should use this information to plan preparatory activities and provide psychological support to students before their nursing practice to help reduce stress and enhance clinical learning.