Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jul 10;24(1):900.
doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-03374-5.

Perceived stress and coping mechanisms among nursing students during clinical placements in Babcock university, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun state

Chidinma Abaribe  1 , Chisom Uduhirinwa  2 , Amarachi Onuiri  3
Affiliations

Perceived stress and coping mechanisms among nursing students during clinical placements in Babcock university, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun state

Chidinma Abaribe et al. BMC Nurs. .

Abstract

Introduction: Nursing students have been reported to perceive a higher level of stress due to workloads, academic demands, coursework and most especially during clinical placements leading to negative stress due to the combined effect of these factors.

Objectives: The study aimed to assess the perceived stress and coping mechanisms among nursing students during clinical placements at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.

Method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted for the study; a multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 204 respondents. Data were collected using structured questionnaire and an adopted Coping Behavioural Inventory Scale for the coping mechanism. Data were analyzed using the statistical software SPSS 27.0; Chi-square and PPMC were used to analyze the relationship between variables at a significant level of 0.05.

Findings: Findings reveal that 99% of students experienced moderate stress, primarily from patient care, academic workload, and clinical expectations. Notably, 27.9% reported stress from teacher comparisons, adding pressure from peers. Optimistic coping was prevalent, with 64.7% of students maintaining a positive outlook. A significant relationship between stress and ethnicity suggests cultural influences on stress perception. The findings indicate that only ethnicity is significantly associated with stress levels among the variables tested (p = 0.025), while age, gender, religion, and level of study show no significant relationships. Additionally, a positive correlation (r² = 0.180, p = 0.010) was observed between problem-solving action and stress, whereas optimistic coping, avoidance, and transference actions had no significant impact on stress levels.

Conclusion: The study highlights the prevalence of moderate stress levels among nursing students and the diversity of coping mechanisms employed. Interventions such as stress management training, mentorship programs, and improved communication between academic and clinical instructors are recommended to better support students in managing stress effectively.

Clinical trail number: Not applicable.

Keywords: Clinical placements; Coping mechanisms; Coping strategies; Nursing students; Perceived stress; Stress management.

Plain language summary

Nursing students experience high levels of stress due to the academic demands, workloads, and clinical placements from their chosen course of study which can affect their overall well-being. This study assessed the stress levels and coping mechanisms of nursing students during their clinical postings at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State. The research was conducted among 204 students. Data analysis showed that almost all students reported moderate level of stress caused by patient care, academic tasks, and clinical expectations. Also, stress from comparisons with peers and teachers was also reported by some of the students. Furthermore, most of the students used optimistic coping strategies to manage their stress. Interestingly, ethnicity was said to influence their stress levels, while factors like age, gender, and religion had no effect. Problem-solving coping strategy showed a positive impact on managing their stress, however other strategies like avoidance had no effect. The study shows the need for good support systems to help the students in managing their stress. Also, nursing educators are encouraged to implement strategies that encourages resilience and improve student’s clinical experiences and also preparing them for the future.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. This study was conducted in accordance with the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki: Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the Babcock University Health Research Ethical Committee (BUHREC) with an ethical approval number (BUHREC/723/24). Consent to participate: Informed consent was obtained from all of the participants before the commencement of the study. Participation was voluntary, and the participants were also informed of their right to withdraw consent to participate at any time without reprisal. Anonymity and confidentiality were maintained throughout the study. Participants’ personal information was protected, and the participants sustained no harm throughout the study. Consent for publication: The author hereby gives consent for the publication of this work under the Creative Commons CC Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 license. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Bar chart showing the overall level of stress among the nursing students
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Bar chart showing the perceived stress sources among the nursing students
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Bar chart showing the coping strategies utilized by the nursing students
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Uyanne EO. Academic stress and suicidal ideation among undergraduates in Kwara state. Anterior Jurnal. 2021;21(1):6–12.
    1. Zhang C, Shi L, Tian T, Zhou Z, Peng X, Shen Y et al. Associations between academic stress and depressive symptoms mediated by anxiety symptoms and hopelessness among Chinese college students. Psychol Res Behav Manage. 2022;547–56. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Aluh DO, Abba A, Afosi AB. Prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety and stress among undergraduate pharmacy students in Nigeria. Pharm Educ. 2020;20:236–48.
    1. Liu J, Yang Y, Chen J, Zhang Y, Zeng Y, Li J. Stress and coping styles among nursing students during the initial period of the clinical practicum: A cross-section study. Int J Nurs Sci. 2022;9(2):222–9. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bilgiç Ş, Çelikkalp Ü. Assessment of nursing students’ stress levels and coping strategies during first clinical experience. Clin Experimental Health Sci. 2021;11(3):437–43.

LinkOut - more resources